Maxis is collaborating with Xentral Methods Sdn Bhd, a local digital platform, to organise Malaysia's first ebook writing competition
5 iPads and a Professional Editorial and Publishing Consultation will be awarded the winners of the competition
Maxis provides a platform for Malaysians to unleash their creativity

MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
Kuala Lumpur, 21 February 2013

Maxis Berhad (Maxis), Malaysia's leading integrated communications service provider, is collaborating with local digital platform, Xentral Methods Sdn Bhd (e-Sentral) to organise the country's first ebook writing competition. The competition aims to discover Malaysia's next generation of writers and is open to all Malaysians aged 18 and above. Writers may submit their short fiction ebooks either in English or Bahasa Malaysia from 1 February to 15 March 2013 (one author per submission) to the official Ebook Competition Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EbookCompetition.

All submissions will be available on Maxis' ebook service and e-Sentral for preview and download from 22 March. The authors of the five most downloaded ebooks will then be selected as the winners, and will receive an iPad each. In addition to this, the author of the most downloaded book will receive a Professional Editorial and Publishing Consultation on how to publish and commercialise their work on digital platforms.

T Kugan, Maxis' Head of Product, Device, Innovation and Roaming, said, "We are pleased to provide this excellent platform and opportunity for aspiring local writers to highlight their work and also help them reach a wider audience, especially in light of the increasing popularity of digital content via e-books. Globally, ebooks are the fastest growing area in book sales, in tandem with the growth in ownership of tablets and ebook readers worldwide. At Maxis, we have been a leader in bringing innovation to the market by continuously building a data-friendly ecosystem, and this competition certainly enables our customers to further enrich their digital experience."

Last year, Maxis launched Malaysia's first integrated digital book service, or ebooks, which can be used across devices. With the service, Maxis customers have access to a selection of over 300,000 international and local ebooks from over 40 categories. Maxis ebooks features a user-friendly interface and runs on a cloud-based digital bookstore, where customers can download books for free onto their iPads or Android tablets, anytime and anywhere they want. As part of this service, Maxis is also looking to nurture the growth of local books and content by partnering with local publishers, authors and educational institutions to grow the amount of local content in its digital library. To date, Maxis has already partnered with Cempaka Schools to eventually distribute learning content comprising publications and reference materials by its teachers through Maxis ebooks, enabling students to digitally access such content.

For further details on the competition, please visit www.facebook.com/EbookCompetition. In addition, information on Maxis ebooks can be found at www.ebuuk.com.my and the app can be downloaded for free from Google Play and Apple's App Store.