Lim Sok Swan - Penang Monthly

Penang Food at a Crossroads

11 min read

For a long time, I wondered how I, for whom street food is at the core of my culture and eating habits, can find a diet that satisfies my cultural taste buds while still meeting present-day healthy eating guidelines.

by Lim Sok Swan

Used Goods From Japan Find Eager Customers in Penang

6 min read

In Japan, household and commercial waste from shops, offices and accommodation facilities are handled differently, and all recyclable items must be recycled or returned to the market as secondhand goods.

by Lim Sok Swan

Are Our Trishaws Doomed?

3 min read

Trishaw operator Koay Beng Hong owns about 50 trishaws which he rents out to peddlers at a fee of RM2 per month. It is no secret that most of these peddlers are homeless, but are still intent on making their own living.

by Lim Sok Swan

Tourism Development is Now Everyone’s Business – and Responsibility

8 min read

To restore visitors’ confidence, hygiene and sanitation have been catapulted to the top of the to-do list for many countries, and more iron-clad preventive measures have been introduced to guard against unwanted outbreaks. Malaysia is no exception.

by Pan Yi Chieh & Esther Ping Dominic & Lim Sok Swan & Yap Jo-yee

Esther Ping Dominic

Pottery in Penang: A Folk Art with a Future

4 min read

To make pottery, one must understand the nature of Earth, of clay, more fundamentally. It starts with sourcing the right body from five main clay types: earthenware, stoneware, ball, fire and kaolin.

by Lim Sok Swan

A Whiter Shade of Apricot

4 min read

With its unique aroma, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, heng jin teh has been a Penang favorite for decades and is usually taken together with eu char koay (fried dough stick).

by Lim Sok Swan & Pan Yi Chieh

Heng Ee: A School that Practises Inclusiveness

7 min read

From his experience in China, Father Julien was inspired to set up a school in Jelutong for social outcasts and school dropouts after observing the large number of youngsters in the area who failed to receive a basic education owing to poverty. And so, the idea to establish Heng Ee was conceived.

by Lim Sok Swan & Pan Yi Chieh

Thinking of Doing Business in George Town?

6 min read

Many buildings in George Town are used for commercial purposes, and certain activities in specific areas are highly encouraged under the implemented George Town Special Area Plan (SAP). However, not all buildings can be converted for commercial use and such a procedure can cost a huge sum.

by Lim Sok Swan

Caring for George Town the Correct Way

12 min read

Ten years ago on July 8, 2008, George Town and Melaka, two historic cities on the Straits of Malacca which developed through trading and cultural exchanges between the East and the West, were listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

by Lim Sok Swan

A Guardian of Acheen Street

6 min read

Sheikh Omar was a man with many social roles: he was a religious and community leader, scholar and trader. He is famous for the fatwa he issued in 1867 which prevented the influence of secret societies from seeping into the religious order.

by Lim Sok Swan & Dr. Mustafa K Anuar

Dr. Mustafa K Anuar

A Home of One's Own

11 min read

Public housing seeks to provide a roof over the heads of those who are most unable to acquire that for themselves on the open market.

by Lim Sok Swan

Celebrating Chinese New Year the Baba-Nyonya Way

5 min read

Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals to the Baba-Nyonyas. Given their long history of assimilating into the local non-Chinese community, certain Chinese New Year traditions naturally differ.

by Lim Sok Swan