Jazz – An Act of Liberation
6 min read
Cabocuba Jazz.It is the sort of day you don’t want to end. The casuarina trees are dark against the cobalt blue of dusk, as is the Miri skyline....
The Legacy of Taste
6 min read
There are some things in life that never change. Taste is one: a dish from childhood – the certain way a char siu is marinated and barbecued to the perfec...
Small Community, Big Legacy
8 min read
Eustace Nonis.Economist Eustace Anthony Nonis was born and raised in Penang, and has St. Xavier’s Institution as his alma mater. It was also in Pena...
Performing the Arts to Excel in Life
6 min read
Soonufat Supramaniam.The last time I chatted with Soonufat Supramaniam, or Soon, was in 2014. He was preparing for a (dark but candid) performing arts pie...
A Hokkien Play? No Big Problem!
5 min read
The stage at Sinkeh Studio is dimly lit; the vibe is electric, the performers pregnant with emotion. Nancy, Beh Hu Beng (or “Fishmonger Beng” in Hok...
Living in George Town: Even Deep Roots Eventually Move
6 min read
30, Stewart Lane. The house has been in the family since 1954, or thereabouts. It was built much earlier of course – Stewart Lane being part of an old qua...
Kids from the 90’s Would Know
1 min read
School canteens are much healthier these days. Gone are the keropok and kiam sooi tnee – the love of many a child and the bane of parents. High in sodium...
Can Penang Lead the Way in Sustainable Tourism?
6 min read
It has been 11 years since George Town was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and its tourism industry has since then flourished beyond imagination. No lon...
The Fall of Singapore: Answers about Malaysia from the Past
4 min read
It is 1938, Malayan Singapore. The last days of happiness for brother and sister pair, Zabir and Zubaida – so sings narrator Shafeeq Shaja...
The Boria Laughs at the Powerful, the Greedy, the Lecherous, the Losers – and at Each of Us
7 min read
(Clockwise from top left) Boria Ria skit at the Botanic Gardens, 1970 – a rare scene when it was once performed in an open env...
Daniel Häggmark: From Hälsingland to Penang
4 min read
At the MONITOR office, the meeting rooms are named after Swedish sports personalities.Daniel Häggmark, Managing Director of MONITOR ERP, is responsib...
GTLF Continues to Cultivate Penang’s Curiosity
7 min read
Arts festivals and fairs are born with some pomp. They then grow, peak and, in some cases, fade away – the celebrated and long-running Penang Island Jazz...