Lighting the way
4 min read
CAMBODIA IN THE early 1990s was not the investment location of choice for the “big guns” of the Western business elite, despite its proximity to the Asian Tigers.
June 2026
Discover Penang Monthly’s June issue: explore the stories behind Penang’s enduring heritage brands, the richness of its multilingual and multicultural heritage, innovative local businesses, community-led initiatives, and the challenges shaping the state’s future. From family enterprises and semiconductor pioneers to traditional food, festivals, education, and environmental sustainability, this issue celebrates Penang’s resilience, identity, and capacity for renewal.
The enchanting hill of early Penang
4 min read
Nahuijs was the first Dutch Resident for Suracarta and Yogjakarta, holding that office from 1816 until 1822 when he retired from office. While making his way home to Europe, he wrote diligently about the places he visited along the way.
Taking bigger than baby steps to transform the economy
6 min read
PENANG CHIEF MINISTER Lim Guan Eng recently demanded that the Prime Minister Department’s Performance and Management & Delivery Unit (Pemandu) gives a formal presentation on its Economic Transformation Programme’s (ETP) Entry Point Projects (EPPs) as he...
The Humanities are needed more than ever
5 min read
Taken from the keynote address at the Opening Dinner of the Ninth Regional API Workshop of The Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals (API) Programme, held on November 20, 2010 in Penang.
Things Tourists Cannot Experience
5 min read
I was surprised when I visited Penang recently to discover that there’s a boutique hotel operating on Bangkok Lane. Called PalanquInn Heritage Suites, and it’s in house number 39. Diagonally opposite it is number 38, where I lived for nearly 10 years throughout the 1970s.
Malaysia needs an equitable healthcare system
10 min read
Any humane society must adopt the principle that healthcare is a right of all its citizens and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises “the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.”
Greening communities in Penang
7 min read
GOING GREEN IS no longer simply a buzzword, nor is it a passing fad. This is becoming obvious to more and more people. In this decade alone, many have come to realise that global warming and climate change are a stark reality and unavoidable phenomena due to anthropogenic activities.
Keeping Penang watered
15 min read
Water management or rather water mismanagement has been making headline news in Malaysia for months. PEM takes an in-depth look at the Penang Water Supply Corporation and reveals how this public-private partnership has thrived and become a model for the rest of the nation.
Cities, People & the Economy: A Study on Positioning Penang
6 min read
PENANG HAS ALWAYS had to depend on its people for economic survival. For the last 40 years, this has been achieved through a development model focused on medium-intensity manufacturing and tourism.
Hoy Cheong the Art-ivist
9 min read
Playing For A Dying Mother, based on a painting by Puvis de Chavannes, for the Lyons Biennial in 2008.HE MAY NOT HAVE done a painting in 20 years, but his...
Dr. Juergen Schloesser: Everything Possible, Nothing Easy
5 min read
Dr. Juergen Schloesser joined B.Braun in 2009 as vice president for B.Braun Medical Industries (BMI) operations and head of the global Center of Excellence for Intravenous Access (CoE IVA).
Eco-towns – The Asian Experience
5 min read
OPINIONS VARY WHEN it comes to the definition of an Eco-town; essentially, an Eco-town is a township that incorporates environmental protection and management practices in its daily affairs.
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