September 2026

The September Issue Is Out Now! Penang Monthly’s September issue explores the vibrant world of Penang’s pasar malam, highlighting their food, culture, community, traditions, and evolving role in island life.

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A publication of Penang Institute, Penang Monthly is the voice of Penang - an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian, featuring stories about the people, ideas, and issues shaping the state's well-being. Sign up for a free account to enjoy unlimited access to all our articles.

Penang’s vanished spot on the pilgrim route

11 min read

IN THE FIRST hundred years of Penang’s history as a British trading settlement, Muslim pilgrims in the region were transported by Arab and Indian Muslim sailing ships. These called at Aceh, Penang, Malacca and Singapore.

by Abdur-Razzaq Lubis

Abdur-Razzaq Lubis

City of birds

10 min read

OVER 200 YEARS have passed since Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company established Penang’s capital city George Town, and it would be fair to say that the city’s character has remained virtually unchanged.

by Rosalind Chua

Rosalind Chua

Structural changes needed in the way we use our human resource

10 min read

Market sensitive labour demand is a skills gap When 2009 rolled in there were genuine concerns over the impending retraction of Malaysia's economy. Jobs, especially in Penang, were closely tied with manufactured exports which...

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Will art world acronyms prove auspicious?

7 min read

Penang, it seems, has caught on to the fetish for acronyms. In September, the 1MCAT "came" to Penang. There was much for art aficionados to PIPE about and SIP up the heady cocktail of local art and global prints.

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Keeping Applied Engineering certification alive

5 min read

Applied engineering students specialise in a technical area of study and blend handson process experience with theory. At the rudimentary level, they are trained...

by Poh Heem Heem

Poh Heem Heem

Captain of the Channel

6 min read

Every Penang kid grows up seeing homely yellow ferries ply between the island and the mainland. It is like clockwork. One docks, one leaves, one docks, one leaves.

by Daniel Lee

We can’t afford bad waste management

7 min read

Whilst the words "green" and "sustainable" have been gaining popularity in both the public and private sectors in Malaysia, it is worrying that problems associated with solid waste have intensified.

by Tricia Yeoh

Seri Talks

5 min read

Penang's efforts to move towards a high-income economy are experiencing a host of deep-rooted problems. Among these are the high turnover rates of local workers, the difficulties faced in recruiting and retaining skilled human capital...

by Richard Ho & Daniel Lee

Richard Ho

Gerakan’s legacy of ideas is at risk

5 min read

Refusing to stop smarting from the defeat it suffered in 2008, Gerakan, the party that ruled Penang for almost 40 years, may see whatever is left of its glorious legacy whittled away and forgotten.

by Neil Khor

Days of Wine and Adelaide

5 min read

I was very pleased to hear that the Penang state government has recently proposed a revival of Adelaide Week in Penang, and Penang Week in Adelaide. The last one was held some years ago.

by Kee Thuan Chye

Stories to stir the soul

8 min read

"People are waking up to the power of storytelling. It was something that was always there, but got buried for a while in our rush towards modernity."...

by Erica Choong

Erica Choong

Penang’s neglected industry

5 min read

The gold and jewellery industry in Penang was established almost 200 years ago by guilds founded by the Chinese, the Indians and the Indian Muslims.The state...

by Anna Ong

Anna Ong

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