The State of The Economy
10 min read
The 2011 Budget signals troubling reliance on private growth. Without economic decentralisation and public sector expansion, Malaysia risks stalling in the middle-income trap.
SERI seeks to offer policy alternatives
6 min read
There are think tanks, and there are think tanks. Penang’s own think tank, the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI), is seeking to...
Tighter cooperation between Pakatan Rakyat-run states
6 min read
From left to right: Former Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz, Selangor Mente...
Raising Komtar
5 min read
Laying the groundwork for Komtar"Architects Team 3 was already invited by the City Council of George Town to advise on a hawker centre in the Prangin Road area...
Penang's news
3 min read
Penang as economic hub of the regionPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced that the federal government intends to turn Penang into a regional...
Jordan Plofsky: Acknowledging results and recognising performance
5 min read
How long have you been in Penang and what were your initial reactions when posted here? I have been coming to Penang since 2001 on a bi-annual basis, but relo...
Palm oil remains key export for Malaysia
4 min read
PALM OIL is widely used in the food and cosmetics markets and has more recently been in great demand in the making of bio-fuel. There are many advantages associ...
Before palm oil, there was coconut oil...
5 min read
WHEN PENANG WAS occupied by the British, it was intended not only to serve as a trading port but also as land for the cultivation of commercial crops such as pe...
Death and the undertaker
5 min read
OOI THEAN CHOO, aka Ah Seng, is a soft -spoken, easygoing man who makes a living out of death. “I’ve been working as a funeral director for more tha...
What the Selangor State Secretary issue teaches us
6 min read
IN 1993 the Federal Constitution of Malaysia was amended with the aim of removing legal immunity of the royalty. Articles 32, 38, 42, 63, 72 and 181 were...
Garbage graves of Penang
8 min read
Different graves for diff erent wastesThe Jelutong dumpsite (20ha) was started in the 1970s and was initially used to receive municipal solid waste (MSW), the...
In between heaven and earth
7 min read
You were born and bred in Penang. How did you find growing up there?I loved growing up in Penang. I was lucky enough to live on Gurney Drive, in one of a row...