KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The redemption rate for the MADANI Book Voucher 2026 programme reached 97.34 per cent as of today, involving 2.17 million students from public educational institutions under the Ministry of Education (MOE), said Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.
He said 5.59 million books had been purchased vis the Book Capital platform as of this morning, with the MOE targeting a 100 per cent redemption by the end of the programme on Oct 31.
“A total of 2.23 million students from secondary schools, vocational and matriculation colleges, Institute of Teacher Education (IPGM) and Form Six are eligible to receive vouchers worth RM100 each. The total allocation provided for 2026 is RM230 million,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a question from Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi), who asked about the redemption rate for the 2026 MADANI Book Voucher programme, the number of students and teachers benefitting from it and the economic impact generated compared with 2024 and 2025.
Commenting on the programme’s achievements in previous years, Wong said its implementation in 2024 benefitted 3.57 million recipients, including primary school pupils from Year Four onwards, with an allocation of RM287 million and 7.8 million books purchased.
In 2025, the programme focused on educators through the MADANI Teachers’ Book Voucher programme, benefiting 428,027 education service officers, involving an allocation of RM43 million and the purchase of 1.55 million books.
“Overall, the implementation of the MADANI Book Voucher programme from 2024 to 2026 recorded accumulated purchases of 14.94 million books worth RM489.32 million,” he added.
Replying to a supplementary question from Kalam Salan (PN-Sabak Bernam), who asked whether the RM100 voucher was sufficient and whether redemption at physical bookstores could be allowed, Wong said the amount of assistance was based on the government’s current financial capacity.
On the redemption mechanism, he said implementation through an online platform enabled the ministry to ensure the vouchers were used to buy books, thereby avoid misuse such as exchanging physical vouchers for cash.
“What we have achieved over the past three years is zero per cent leakage and 100 per cent transparency,” he added.
Wong said the online implementation had also widened access to reading materials for rural communities, with several parliamentary constituencies such as Beaufort, Beluran, Tenom, Bau, Julau, Kanowit, Lawas, Miri, Selangau, Subis and Labuan, achieving a 100 per cent redemption rate.
He said the achievement demonstrated that access to reading materials was no longer limited to urban and semi-urban areas, but had extended to remote areas.
-- BERNAMA