February 2026

Our latest issue explores how third places—from bookstores and gardens to KOMTAR—shape community life in Penang, while reflecting on sustainability, inclusion, and the island’s rich history.

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A publication of Penang Institute, Penang Monthly is the voice of Penang - an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian, featuring stories about the people, ideas, and issues shaping the state's well-being. Sign up for a free account to enjoy unlimited access to all our articles.

Expanding Comfort Zones and Third Places

3 min read

If urban living means that I possess a little space to call home, feel safe in and control, then how much I feel at home in a city would depend very much on how much home-like access I have when out in public.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

The Infinite-Land Exhibition: Alluring and Healing

5 min read

“This exhibition healed me in some ways I didn’t realise.” “That made me feel curious, and also strangely moved. The works were never intended to heal anyone, yet in certain unnoticed moments, they had quietly kept someone company.”

by Rachel Yeoh

Sketching Across Borders: Ch’ng Kiah Kien’s Artistic Journey

5 min read

A graduate in Housing, Building & Planning and Architecture, Ch’ng believes that letting go—in this case, of that career path—can sometimes open doors that would otherwise remain hidden.

by Iylia De Silva

A Sea of a Thousand Fires: The Visit of La Bonite to Penang

8 min read

Vaillant looked forward to visiting Penang, partly for strategic rea-sons. The island, he noted, “has played, as is known, an important role in the late wars”, referring to the Napoleonic campaigns in which he had served.

by Eugene Quah

A Taste of Penang's Own Coffee

4 min read

I can almost believe I’ve learned to make kopi—or at least understand that in Malaysia, coffee is a simple pleasure, and no less delicious than coffee made anywhere else.

by Marco Ferrarese

Antara Detik: Allowing The Community to Recognise Itself

3 min read

“What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.” — Leisure, William Henry Davies

by Nurul Natasha Amir

Hurting in Silence: A Need to Fight All Bullying on All Fronts

5 min read

The tragic loss of Zara Qairina[1], the culmination of a systemic bullying culture, where a “High Council” of seniors and abusive confrontations over theft accusations preceded her fatal fall, is a painful reminder that silence can kill.

by Kevin Vimal

Automation and The Middle-Class Squeeze

5 min read

Automation is forcing a philosophical reset in the labour market. While “work” historically meant performing routine tasks for pay, the future requires societies to compete with AI on meaning, not speed.

by Nadhirah Zainuddin

Project Mars: Growing a Forest to Feed and Educate Us

5 min read

Project Mars hopes to shift how people think about eating—not as something dependent on constant regrowth, but as something already growing around them.

by Zoe Kung

Room to Roam: How Pets Reshape Public Space

3 min read

Such environments do not merely accommodate pets; they support a mode of living that values connection, slowness and shared presence.

by Aadah Lee

A Mall is Not a Third Place and-KOMTAR is Not a Mall

9 min read

THERE ARE SPACES we occupy by necessity—home, school, office—and others we gravitate to by choice. The latter are…

by Tjer Hong Ngo

Tropical Spice Garden: A Sanctuary for Rediscovering Nature and Personal Space

3 min read

Katharine believes that the garden’s success in drawing in crowds from both the community and foreign visitors could not have been made possible without a very passionate, 20-strong team.

by Pan Yi Chieh

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