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.

494 posts

My Oh My George Town! Public spaces need publicity – and polish

8 min read

Much emphasis is placed on George Town’s historic buildings. Their architectural styles, unique features and building techniques are the subject of many...

by Penang Monthly

Applause for the Penang budget model

5 min read

Regina Frey, head of the Gender Bureau, Berlin, Germany.The “People Oriented Model” of Gender Responsive Participatory Budgeting (GRPB), conce...

by Penang Monthly

The numbers on human trafficking

6 min read

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. It is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Nonetheless, there are thousands of men, women and...

by Penang Monthly

Gentrification-but with the right twist

4 min read

The old Hin Bus Depot on Jalan Gurdwara may have lost many of its walls and part of its roof, but this has only served to turn it into one of the most atmospher...

by Penang Monthly

For whom Malaysia’s highways toll

8 min read

Malaysia has come a long way since its rst tolled expressway or highway, the 33km Tanjung Malim-Slim River route (then known as Federal Route 1) was completed i...

by Penang Monthly

Making federalism REAL

17 min read

Malaysia Day celebrations.Many West Malaysians will find it mind-boggling for Malaysians one day to celebrate three national days: August 31 as Merdeka Da...

by Penang Monthly

No easy task to educate

6 min read

Nothing could have prepared me for school. If I thought having a degree from a US college and a job at a big consulting firm in the city were enough, I was wron...

by Penang Monthly

South China Sea: What’s at stake?

5 min read

With the discovery of oil in Sarawak in 1910, the foundation of Malaysia’s oil and gas industry was laid and changed its economy forever. Mainly located i...

by Penang Monthly

Eight bountiful acres

4 min read

The way to 8 Acres was very fruitful, pun intended. In the car with friends and colleagues, we made a brief stop along the trunk road for some nangka. Each frui...

by Penang Monthly

Stateless in Sabah

4 min read

Any tourist walking along Kota Kinabalu’s famed waterfront will, sooner or later, encounter a tout waving a booklet for island tours and boat trips. He wi...

by Penang Monthly

Taking education outside the school

6 min read

According to the World Bank, in 2010, 14% of our GDP per capita consisted of public spending on primary education. Singapore on the other hand recorded 11.2%...

by Penang Monthly

URGENTLY NEEDED: Reform of Malaysia’s regime police

6 min read

Nine years have passed since the release of the landmark 2005 Dzaiddin Royal Commission Report and its 125 recommendations for police reforms, including the f...

by Penang Monthly