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.

824 posts

Decentralisation offers solutions – and snags

9 min read

De·cen·tral·i·sa·tion: the dispersion or distribution of functions and powers; specifically: the delegation of power from a c...

by Penang Monthly

Injecting gender into the Penang Agenda

6 min read

Budgeting isn’t strictly about dollars and cents. Gender, for example, plays a role, too. But what exactly is gender responsive budgeting, and how is it d...

by Penang Monthly

The last Siamese village of Penang

5 min read

The sun sets on the Siamese village. The golden pagoda of Wat Chayamangkalaram nearby glimmers in the fading light, its multi-tiered tower dwarfed by the surrou...

by Penang Monthly

The digital world belongs to the young

4 min read

Jazz Tan runs a successful youth development, events management and social media marketing company. As its founder and chief executive, she is the oldest among...

by Penang Monthly

More money needed for proper healthcare

5 min read

Malaysia has a two-tier system of healthcare services: a state-led and publicfunded sector exists alongside a thriving private sector. The National Health and M...

by Penang Monthly

Balancing the Budget – Malaysia vs Germany

6 min read

Malaysia has always respected Germany and its economic accomplishments – something Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak himself mentioned when he tab...

by Penang Monthly

What does the ending of quantitative easing mean for Malaysia?

5 min read

Quantitative easing (QE) unleashed a flood of cheap money throughout the world in the past few years, and many emerging markets benefitted from this added liqui...

by Penang Monthly

Chronicling the peaceful Penans of Sarawak

6 min read

It is curious why Paul Malone, an Australian reporter, decided to get knee deep into the shady story of the deception of Sarawak’s natives and the state&r...

by Penang Monthly

Does the AEC spell open season for skilled workers?

8 min read

With the deadline of December 31, 2015 knocking at our door, there are increasing discussions on the form and bearing of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) on l...

by Penang Monthly

Is Lenggong the next hot tourist spot?

6 min read

Most Malaysians would have heard of Lembah Bujang and its Hindu-Buddhist settlement that goes back to possibly as early as the year 110, but what about its less...

by Penang Monthly

One million lives saved, and counting

4 min read

Torbjorn Andersson.Torbjorn Andersson, managing director of St Jude Medical Penang, can barely hold back his enthusiasm as he shows me a small grey device...

by Penang Monthly

National Instruments – Helping Penang climb the expertise ladder

5 min read

In spite of the global economic crunch, National Instruments (NI) is growing smoothly in Penang. Starting from a temporary office in Suntech back in 2008, the U...

by Penang Monthly