Kuala lumpur: The activity of stamp collecting from various booths at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (PBAKL) 2026 has become a new attraction that is increasingly gaining popularity, with visitors willing to explore each booth to complete the stamp collection in the stamp collection books they bring.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the phenomenon that started on a small scale at PBAKL last year has now developed into a distinct trend, giving rise to a community of stamp collectors consisting of various age groups, from children and teenagers to adults.

Perbadanan Kota Buku (PKB) corporate communications officer Mohd Hairul Hasraf Niwan said that PKB also supports this trend by providing around 12 different stamp designs for visitors to collect. He noted that compared to last year, which only saw a few booths offering stamps, almost all booths at PBAKL 2026 provided their own stamps as an attraction for visitors.

"Last year, only a few booths provided stamps. At that time, the activity was not yet widespread. At this year's PBAKL, almost all booths provided stamps for visitors to collect. There are booths that require visitors to follow social media, participate in certain activities, or purchase books and so on to obtain the stamp," he said to reporters when met at PBAKL 2026 here today.

According to Mohd Hairul Hasraf, the activity is seen as a creative approach to attract the interest of the community, especially the younger generation, to engage with the world of books and to cultivate the practice of reading. This trend is clearly evident through the participation of visitors from various age groups, including school students, university students, and adults who have taken up this activity as a new hobby when visiting the book fair.

For Bachelor of Environmental Management student Nur Farah Najihah Mohd Saifulnizam, 23, she learned about the stamp collection activity after seeing a post about it on social media. "I found out about the booths offering stamps through Threads and Instagram. This activity makes me more excited to explore more booths. So far, I have managed to collect more than 10 stamps from various booths I have visited," she said.

Meanwhile, a Form Three student from Melaka, Sharifah Soffea Aina Syed Shamsul Anuar, 15, said the activity complemented her visit to the PBAKL, which was originally intended for buying books. "I came here to buy a book, but at the same time, I took the opportunity to collect stamps because each one has a unique design. There are stamps that are free and some that require a purchase. I like collecting them because they can be a collection and a memory when this stamp book is full later," she said, adding that she started getting to know this activity after being introduced by her aunt, who is also actively collecting stamps," she said.

Sharifah Soffea's aunt Sharifah Suryati Syed Ali, 54, said she started dabbling in the hobby since the end of last year after seeing posts about the activity on TikTok. "My friends and I enjoy looking for locations that offer stamps to collect. So at this year's PBAKL, I seized the opportunity to invite my nephews and nieces to collect stamps here. This is a very enjoyable hobby," she said.

The emergence of the stamp-collecting community, which spans different generations, shows that this activity is no longer just a side event at book fairs but has become a medium that encourages visitors to explore more booths and engage with the world of books and reading culture.