Penang Monthly

Penang Monthly, by Penang Institute, is the voice of Penang, offering insights on its people, politics, economy, culture, and society, with a focus on local and national issues for curious Malaysians.

504 posts

A Disturbing Focus on The Man Through His Women

3 min read

In the recent production of The Sandpit: Womensis, actor Anne James played Santha, a conservative Hindu woman scorned, not so much by her husband taking another...

by Penang Monthly

The Economic Transformation Programme Forum

4 min read

The Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) was launched on September 21, 2010. It is meant to be a comprehensive plan to drive Malaysia's economy to meet the W...

by Penang Monthly

GEORGE TOWN FESTIVAL 2012 Highlights

3 min read

 "Mak Yong".SILAT – OUR HERITAGE FOR THE WORLD The gala opening of the festival features the world premier of “Silat – Our Herita...

by Penang Monthly

The Foreign Minister's Diminished Role

7 min read

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosting a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Haji Aman on May 14, 2009 in Washington,...

by Penang Monthly

Non-compliance - A Bane of Urban Governance

4 min read

In March 2008, Penangites, at least those who voted in the General Election, wanted a change in the state government. Out of the 40 seats under contest, 29 we...

by Penang Monthly

Social Resistance in A Semi-Democracy

15 min read

On February 5 this year, more than 5,000 people flooded downtown Kuala Lumpur to participate in the Light up Jalan Sultan and Preserve Heritage event.Artisans...

by Penang Monthly

Socio-economic Inequalities

3 min read

Imbalances of income distribution across states of MalaysiaWhile Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis and Kedah show the least uniform income distribution in 2004,...

by Penang Monthly

A Tale of Two Water Supply Systems

5 min read

The issue of water has re-emerged in the state of Selangor. Peter Chin, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, recently issued a statement saying his h...

by Penang Monthly

Each Citizen’s Duty to Combat Electoral Fraud

5 min read

The Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28, 2012 was historic. By conservative estimates, at least 100,000 people turned up in the march towards Dataran Merdeka in Kual...

by Penang Monthly

George Town: A Work in Progress

4 min read

“I received so many calls and texts asking me if I’m for development or whether we want to stunt growth,” said Suraya Ismail, the moderator...

by Penang Monthly

Secondary Cities are An Untapped Resource

7 min read

Cebu City, Philippines.With the slowdown of the world economy, many growth estimates across the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) are being...

by Penang Monthly

MIND THE GAP On The Widening Gap Between The Rich and The Poor

10 min read

Not too long ago, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched its 2011 Human Development Report. I am not going to comment on Malaysia’s rank...

by Penang Monthly