KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 20 -- There was a sign of relief on a father's face when he found that his last RM10 note, tucked behind his identification card, was enough to buy two books at a book sale.

That moment reinforced Jacqueline Ng's belief that reading should not be exclusive to the privileged.

"That moment stopped me, and it reminded me of my own childhood. My family didn't have the luxury to buy books," BookXcess founder Ng said.

What started as a bookstore selling off-season books at discounted prices has grown into more than a retail outlet.

Over the years, it has become a bridge for those who want to read but previously lacked access to affordable reading materials.

"When I was a child, because my parents were Chinese-educated, t...