Tokosue, an independent bookstore in KL
KL has a witty charm for conjuring magic from the most unexpected corners, even in the thick of its daily hustle.
Tucked away in Wisma Central, just a few steps from the Petronas Twin Towers, you’ll find an independent bookstore, Tokosue. Since it opened its doors three years ago, the establishment has grown into something far more than a retail space. It’s a living testament of one woman’s love for zines and books, now at risk of closing down.
We spoke with the founder about the buzz surrounding the plight to keep her bookstore alive.
A love letter to the indie spirit
While e-books and chain bookstores dominate the market, Malaysia’s indie bookstores offer a different narrative.
On the second floor of Wisma Central sits Tokosue. Here, you’ll find tomes filled with stories of grief, growth, feminism, family, survival, and art – themes often absent from mainstream aisles.
But keeping this establishment alive has not been easy. In an interview with TheSmartLocal Malaysia, the Malaysian-born owner of the bookstore, Sue Emoqwin, shared that she found herself at a crossroads with dwindling footfall. Realising she couldn’t keep the store going alone, she bravely reached out online on her Facebook page, asking for support by encouraging book purchases.
The post, shared over 300 times, highlighted how book-loving Malaysians donated and rallied to help her store. This heartwarming response encouraged Kak Sue to launch a fundraising campaign to keep the bookstore afloat. “I’m more than happy that we reached our goal,” she shared, still surprised by the outpouring of love.
At her bookstore, you’ll find many books by local writers, some of whom you might be discovering for the first time – a thrill for any bookworm. Local publishers featured, such as Kedai Hitam Putih, Pipit Press, and Rocky Press, spotlight and support Malaysian literature.
“People don’t just come here for the books,” she says. “They come because this place means something to them.”
The woman fighting to keep her bookstore alive
Sue Emoqwin, whom many fondly know as Kak Sue, is not your typical bookseller. A nurturer of indie voices and a zine artist, she’s a quiet force within Malaysia’s underground literary community.
Inside her square-shaped haven tucked above the city’s noise, she welcomes every patron to her bookstore like a book spirit guide – present and full of stories. She’ll listen to your heartbreaks and might even ask how your poetry is coming along.
Long before her first zine ever hit a shelf, Kak Sue was raised in a home where magazines were more common than toys. Her father, a driver for Malaysian Airlines, used to bring home books and comics such as Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales and Komik Bahasa Puteri Duyung, which became her constant companions.
By the age of nine, she was a regular at Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, once located at Jalan Raja Laut. “I’d sneak into the adult section just to understand life,” she admitted with a laugh. “My parents weren’t even worried if I got kidnapped.”
As books continued to play a pivotal role in her adolescent years, Kak Sue eventually found herself drawn to zines – a rare and rebellious rhythm of literature you don’t often hear about.
When asked how she first got reeled into the world of zines, she shared that her love for them was seeded in the DIY punk scene of the 1990s. Amid heartbreak, a divorce, and the quiet unravelling of adulthood, zines and poetry became honest reflections of what it means to be human – unconditionally flawed.
In 2014, Kak Sue published her first zine, titled Rasanisme Jiwalogi. Printed in small batches, the zine eventually fostered a grassroots community of locals who shared her passion for self-published literature.
Preserving the local indie bookstore scene
As an artist, Kak Sue deeply believes in giving back to the community. In 2014, she co-founded Gilakata, a community where poetry lovers come together to share readings, perform, and publish their poetry zines.
From here, she built a loyal following and continued pursuing her dream of making zines more widely known across Malaysia while also conducting workshops for those with a passion for creating them.
“When we first started, business was picking up, and zine literature was on the rise,” she recalled. “But sadly, the pandemic hit in 2020, and everything changed.”
With in-person events on hold, she decided to pivot online and launched a Shopee store called Tokosue. By 2022, buoyed by the support of her growing community, she took a leap and opened a physical indie bookstore.
The future of Tokosue
Image credit: Kak Sue
When asked about her hopes for the future of the bookstore, Kak Sue shared that she dreams of continuing to amplify the voices of zine artists and local writers – giving them not just shelf space but a sense of belonging – “I want people to walk in and find themselves here, even in just one page.”
As the humble bookstore holds more than just ink on paper, it is filled with conversations and that rare human connection you might not find elsewhere. “People come in and pour their hearts out,” she says.
As a small indie bookstore, sustaining such a venture can be particularly challenging in Malaysia. While maintaining cash flow and sales numbers can be tricky, one crucial element is having your imprint — for Tokosue, that’s Rocky Press. Kak Sue shared that having an imprint not only helps save costs but also allows for more control over the number of books printed and their production expenses, which can often be prohibitively high.
To keep the lights on and the dream alive, Kak Sue is now offering book bundles — curated sets that support both her own imprint and the authors and creators behind it. These bundles are priced affordably, with supporters free to choose the contribution that feels right for them. Because this isn’t just about saving a bookstore – it’s about sustaining a community.
A final word – or maybe just another page
In a world dominated by algorithms and speed, Tokosue reminds us that literature – real literature – is made by people, of mess and with heart. It’s printed on paper, passed hand-to-hand, written in the margins, and sold not always with profit in mind.
Kak Sue could have given up a hundred times. But she hasn’t. And that, in itself, is a kind of magic. “You own your story,” she says. “Even if people laugh, even if it’s hard – you still keep going. Because you have a calling for it.”
Finding a bookstore born from the roots of home isn’t something we come across often. Hopefully, this chapter will not be the last one for this gem of an indie bookstore.
If you’d like to support Tokosue, you can visit them at their location below.
Address: 3.40, Level 2, Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Wed-Thu 10am-4pm | Fri 12pm-8pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)
Contact: 018-280 7306 | Tokosue Bookstore website | Instagram
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Some quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Yusintha.
TheSmartLocal Malaysia would like to thank Kak Sue for taking the time out of her busy schedule and for her warm hospitality during this interview.