A DESIRE to provide Malaysians with antique books, maps, photographs and lithographs chronicling the history of Malaysia led one man to transform his hobby into a business.

Nazreen Jaafar, 31, started Bukuku Press in 2016 to sell secondhand books he had collected over the years.

“I like collecting books for my personal collection. I’m not a bibliophile, but I collect books on a lot of topics and I like knowing that I have access to them when I need it,” Nazreen, who is now based in Oman, told The Malaysian Insight.

“Unlike in western countries, where selling books or prints is personal to the bookseller, in Malaysia bookstores carry books that are (commercial) bestsellers for profit.

“I wanted to sell curated books (about Malaysia) because it is something I am interested in. 

“Then I realised that there was a demand for these book from Malaysians and others in the Southeast Asian region as chainstores don’t sell them,” he said.

Not all the books sold at Bukuku Press are old, but they are rare as they are no longer in print, said Nazreen, who also hunts down books at the request of clients.

“It once took me two years to find a book that a client asked for. He had been looking for it for 10 years.”

Nazreen’s best finds are probably the first published copies of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the book, The Malayan Union.

“I found the MA63 in an online auction by a shop in London. I browsed the word ‘Malaysia’ and the first thing that popped was the MA63. It was stamped July 24, 1963 and it was owned by a British officer who served in Malaya.

“The Malayan Union is something that I recently got from an antique dealer in Malaysia,” he said.

Both have been sold to a private collector.

Following Bukuku Press’ success, Nazreen opened Cetak Nadir which specialises in old maps, photographs, engravings and lithographs related to Malaysian history. 

With Cetak Nadir, he wanted to provide a personalised history experience to his customers.

“I wanted to make it an online emporium that sells history to all. I don’t sell reproductions but I want to open the doors to inexpensive rare photographs and collectors’ items to Malaysians.”

There is often a perception that collectors of such items are rich and that is something that Nazreen said he wants to change.

He has a diverse range of customers from royalty and politicians to postmen.

“One of my regular customers is a postman. He has about 2,000 rare books in his private collection.”

Nazreen has about 1,500 items worth RM100,000 in his collection which is stored at a warehouse in Malaysia. His business is conducted fully online and ships worldwide.

Most of the items he has were found at auctions, antiquarian shops, charity shops and print galleries in London.

“Most of the books are from the UK because it is easier to get English language publications there. 

“Also the fact that the British colonised Malaysia means the chances of stumbling on rare publications (about Malaysia) there arr higher.”

Nazreen’s most treasured article in Cetak Nadir is a 16th century miniature map of Malacca that he discovered in an art gallery in the UK.

“It is a 1570 map by a Dutch cartographer. A map from this century is a rare find as they are usually a part of a museum collection,” he said.

Though the map came with a RM4,000 price tag, Nazreen has no intention of selling it. 

“I’m going to frame and keep it.”

His most treasured book is Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, published in 1964.

Nazreen said the book has sentimental value.

“I bought it in Paris. It means a lot to me for personal reasons.” – September 26, 2021.