Q&A-Malaysia’s pioneer in English-language Islamic educational tools Anita Abu Bakar eyes regional franchising opportunities
KUALA LUMPUR - In Malaysia, Anita Abu Bakar is considered a pioneer in championing Islamic teaching in the English language. This was not the career she had carved for herself; Abu Bakar has a Master’s degree in Islamic banking and finance from the International Islamic University Malaysia and then she worked in corporate banking for more than 10 years.
She left the industry to focus on motherhood, which was when she found a dearth of English language Islamic books and learning tools for children. Muslim-majority Malaysia--Islam is religion to around 60 percent of the 31.7 million population--may have a big market in Islamic-related materials but these are largely in Bahasa Malaysia, the official national language.
Today, four and a half years later, Abu Bakar’s Qaiser Darussalam Publications has more than 70 resellers worldwide, including in neighboring Singapore and Brunei, and farther abroad in Japan, Korea and Nigeria. It has also expanded beyond books and educational tools to offer classes and courses to both children and adults.
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Zurinna Raja Adam