{{Short description|Malaysian bookshop and printing company}} {{Infobox company | name = MPH Group (M) Sdn Bhd | logo = MPH Bookstores logo.png | logo_size = | type = [[Private limited company]] | industry = [[Retail|Retail (Specialty)]] | foundation = 1890, as ''Amelia Bishop Press'' | location = [[Petaling Jaya]], [[Selangor]], [[Malaysia]] | num_locations = 15<ref>[https://mphonline.com/apps/store-locator Store Locator] MPHOnline.com</ref> | key_people = | products = [[Books]], [[magazines]], [[stationery]], [[greeting cards]] | revenue = | num_employees = | subsid = MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd<br />MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd<br />MPH Group Printing<br />MPH Group Publishing | homepage = http://www.mphonline.com/ | image = MPH The Exchange TRX, Kuala Lumpur 20240519 120025.jpg | image_caption = MPH Bookstores [[The Exchange TRX]] branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia }} '''MPH Group Malaysia Sdn Bhd'''<ref name="MPH sg">{{cite web |title=About MPH Bookstores (Singapore) Pte Ltd |url=http://www.mph.com.sg/aboutus.html |publisher=MPH Group |access-date=30 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630150937/http://www.mph.com.sg/aboutus.html |archive-date=30 June 2018}}</ref> is a [[Malaysia]]n group of companies best known for its book [[retail]]ing and online retailing services as well as being involved in the printing, publishing and distribution of books and library services in Malaysia and [[Singapore]]. Its [[bookstore]] chain, ''MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd'', headquartered in [[Petaling Jaya]], [[Selangor]], has been among the largest in Malaysia after [[Popular Holdings|Popular]].<ref name="MPH">{{cite web|title=A Passage Through Time - A Brief History of MPH|url=http://www.mphonline.com/help/aboutus.aspx|publisher=MPH Group|access-date=30 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630151551/http://www.mphonline.com/help/aboutus.aspx|archive-date=30 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.popular.com.my/AboutUs.aspx |publisher=[[Popular Holdings|Popular Book Company (M) Sdn Bhd]] |access-date=July 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813213511/http://www.popular.com.my/AboutUs.aspx |archive-date=August 13, 2010 }}</ref> In 2020 MPH closed many of its bookstores in Malaysia and Singapore and concentrated its efforts on selling books via its online bookstore.<ref name="vulcanpost">Melissa Chan, [https://vulcanpost.com/668918/mph-bookstores-singapore-closing/ "End Of A Chapter: Why MPH Bookstores Is Closing Its Last Two Outlets In S'pore"], vulcanpost.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref><ref name="loheswar-readers-reminisce">R. Loheswar, [https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/06/03/readers-reminisce-as-two-mph-bookstores-in-klang-valley-close-on-june-6-oth/1871852 "Readers reminisce as two MPH bookstores in Klang Valley close on June 6, others may follow suit"], ''[[Malay Mail]]'', 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref><ref name="themalayasianreserve">Nur Haziqah A. Malek, [https://themalaysianreserve.com/2020/06/04/mph-bookstores-turn-online-for-better-customers-experience/ MPH bookstores turn online for better customer's experience], themalaysianreserve.com. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref><ref name="arnold">Michael Arnold, [https://insideretail.asia/2020/06/10/malaysian-bookstore-chain-mph-culling-stores-in-shift-online/ Malaysian bookstore chain MPH culling stores in shift online], insideretail.asia. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref>
==History== [[File:Triglot Vocabulary.pdf|thumb|The Triglot Vocabulary, Sixth Edition (1913): published by the Methodist Publishing House and originally compiled by its founder William Girdlestone Shellabear with the Rev. B. F. West, not credited in this edition.]] Captain [[William Shellabear|W.G. Shellabear]] is recognized as the founder of MPH. In 1890, he established the '''Amelia Bishop Press''' in [[Singapore]], publishing [[Christianity|Christian]] literature. The company eventually began publishing secular works as well, changing its name to the '''American Mission Press''' in 1893. In the 1900s, Rev. William T. Cherry expanded the organization's activities to printing, publishing, bookselling, and book distribution. He changed the company's name to '''Methodist Publishing House''' in 1906, giving rise to the acronym 'MPH', as the company is known today.<ref name="MPH"/> Beginning in 1906 the firm published the Malay Literature Series.
The administration and editor's office of the Methodist Publishing House was located in a two storey Edwardian style building at the corner of [[Stamford Road]] and [[Armenian Street, Singapore|Armenian Street]] in Singapore. Constructed in 1907-08, the building housed a printing press and also served for decades as an MPH bookstore.<ref>"MPH Building" (entry) in: Wan Meng Hao and Jacqueline Lau, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3taIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85 Heritage Places of Singapore ]'', Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 2009, pages 85-87. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref><ref name="cornelius">Vernon Cornelius, [https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_61_2004-12-27.html MPH], National Library Board (Singapore), eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 April 2022.</ref>
MPH changed its name in 1927 to the ''Malaya Publishing House'' and in 1963 it was renamed as the ''Malaysia Publishing House'', but throughout the acronym MPH remained. The company also changed ownership multiple times, being acquired by an [[Indonesia]]n consortium Led By Mr Tjio Wie Thay A.k.a Masagung in 1966, then a [[Hong Kong]] group, Jack Chia-MPH, in 1972<ref name="cornelius" /> and finally by Singaporean entrepreneur [[Simon Cheong]] in 1999. In 2002, Jalinan Inspirasi Sdn Bhd, acquired the company. This was the first time MPH became a wholly Malaysian-owned company.<ref name="MPH"/>
==Bookstores== [[File:MPH book store in Alamanda Putrajaya.JPG|thumb|An MPH book store at Alamanda Putrajaya]] In early 2019 MPH had 29 bookstores in Malaysia and three in Singapore.<ref name="vulcanpost" /><ref name="loheswar-readers-reminisce" /> It had a heavy presence in the [[Klang Valley]], operating in major shopping outlets including [[Mid Valley Megamall|Mid Valley]]. Its bookstores in Singapore were located at Raffles City, Parkway Parade, and in the SingPost Centre in [[Paya Lebar]].
Following a partial lockdown from the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and several social media posts alleging the closure of nine MPH stores nationwide including four in the [[Klang Valley]], MPH staff members confirmed that their outlet in [[Subang Parade]] would be closing on 6 June 2020.<ref name="vulcanpost" /> Following the online speculation, in June 2020 the MPH Group CEO Donald Kee issued a statement outlining "its strategy as a transition into a more e-commerce-focused retail format, consolidating non-performing stores and pooling resources for a digital-business push", as well as deploying "high-tech vending machines placed in strategic locations", and launching a "social interactive e-learning platform".<ref name="arnold" /> He added that the firm would "maintain its key physical locations".<ref name="arnold" />
==Online bookstore== MPH branched out into the online book retailing via its MPHOnline.com website in 2000.<ref name="vulcanpost" /><ref name="themalayasianreserve" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.mphonline.com Official website] *[https://archive.org/details/TriglotVocabulary Triglot Vocabulary (English, Malay, Hokkien, Hakka). Methodist Publishing House, Singapore, 1913]
[[Category:1890 establishments in Singapore]] [[Category:Retail companies established in 1890]] [[Category:Publishing companies established in 1890]] [[Category:Book publishing companies of Malaysia]] [[Category:Bookstores of Malaysia]] [[Category:Privately held companies of Malaysia]] [[Category:Malaysian brands]]