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.

Before Palm Oil, There Was Coconut Oil...

5 min read

Coconuts turned out to be the only crop successfully cultivated on a large scale on the island, contributing considerably to the economy for almost one century. Why and how did coconuts become such as an important commercial crop in Penang?

by Dr. Wong Yee Tuan

The day George Town grew up

4 min read

IT IS THE MORNING OF the New Year. The face of the Victoria Memorial Clock Tower blocking the rising sun to the east shows the time to be 8.50.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Death and The Undertaker

5 min read

When a family mourns a loved one recently departed, there is no greater help than that offered by the undertaker. pem talks to Ooi Thean Choo, a funeral director whose experiences have made him ever more philosophical and caring.

by Daniel Lee & Daniel Lim

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 amended as a result.

by Tricia Yeoh

Garbage Graves of Penang

8 min read

Most of us are happily unaware of where our garbage goes after leaving our bins. Very few of us on the island know that our rubbish takes a sea cruise from the Batu Maung Waste Transfer Station on barges to their final resting place on the mainland.

by Khor Hung Teik

Khor Hung Teik

In Between Heaven and Earth

7 min read

Cheah Teng Hong is the director of Corporate Finance at the World Bank, where he has been since 1981.

by Kee Thuan Chye

The miracle of Penang Jazz

7 min read

The Seventh Penang Island Jazz Festival was spread over four days in early December 2010. It may not yet be “seventh heaven” but it is something of a small miracle that this festival started, survived and has begun to flourish.

by James Lochhead

James Lochhead

Freeing education from politics

5 min read

New nations tend to suffer from excessive politicking. Being moderate in many ways, politicking in Malaysia has permeated most aspects of nation building, bringing effects that are more long-term than if we had not been so moderate. This is most obvious in the field of education.

by Zairil Khir Johari

All that Rozz-matazz

7 min read

It has been five years since Rozz first lit up Bagan’s stage with his electric takes on classic torch songs and Broadway numbers. With undeniable panache, Rozz fluidly melds the worlds of the masculine and the feminine.

by Rosalind Chua

Rosalind Chua

Life on the List

14 min read

ENOUGH TIME has now passed for PEM to start asking what the most significant and noticeable changes are, and what people have learned from the fact that George Town is now under global scrutiny, what measures are crying out to be taken, and what the future holds for this newly recognised treasure.

by Jeffrey Hardy Quah & Rosalind Chua & Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Rosalind Chua

The Shafee Yahaya Story: Estate Boy to ACA Chief

5 min read

This is a narrative about Datuk Shafee Yahaya, former Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) chief who assumed the position from June 16, 1994 to September 11, 1998, written by his wife, Datin Kalsom Taib.

by Wazir Jahan Karim

Wazir Jahan Karim

The fine art of estimating economic health

10 min read

When reports say that the economy is growing at six per cent, this number is the change in the real (i.e. adjusted for inflation) gross domestic product (GDP) over a one-year period.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

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