November 2025

This November, Penang Monthly explores language, place and memory. As GTLF returns, we highlight Penang’s multilingual streets and the dialects that keep local history alive.

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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.

The Mixed Impact of The Heritage Listing

6 min read

The most obvious place to start when assessing the impact that the Unesco World Heritage Site (WHS) listing has had on George Town over the last four years is t...

by Penang Monthly

Can Penang Port be Saved?

8 min read

From its establishment as a British settlement in 1786, Penang, with its sister settlements Malacca and Singapore to the south, enjoyed the status of a free por...

by Penang Monthly

Tackling The Brain Drain

6 min read

Talent Corporation Malaysia BerhadTalent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) was set up to strengthen public-private sector collaboration in widening and...

by Penang Monthly

Making A City Liveable is No Easy Matter

5 min read

As liveable city rankings become popular globally, there is a growing interest to make Malaysian cities move up the scales. For instance, the former mayor of Ku...

by Penang Monthly

Tariq Ramadan – Islam Reviewed From Within

16 min read

Ooi Kee Beng: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us after your very long day. Again, welcome to Penang. The point you made in your speech today, which s...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Statistics

4 min read

Green buildings in MalaysiaThe Green Building Index (GBI) is Malaysia's version of the green rating tool, conceptualised in 2008. This rating system provide...

by Penang Monthly

Dining in the Clouds

2 min read

We’re 2,400ft above sea level. The view of George Town from up here is amazing, chunks of green tucked between jagged rooftops and structures characterist...

by Penang Monthly

Real Democracy Requires Democracy in Planning

5 min read

When I attended the One-Stop Centre (OSC) committee meeting earlier this year, one of my long-held suspicions was confirmed: development planning really is elit...

by Steven Sim

System of Government in the Straits Settlements, 1942

5 min read

Mills’ work is most probably the last scholarly analysis of how the British Empire was run east of the Indian subcontinent written just before it all came...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Art Auctions are the New Stock Market

8 min read

This is a banner year for art auctions in Malaysia, with a grand total of four held so far. For a country comparatively short on art history and with a long way...

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Major Changes Await the Botanic Gardens

5 min read

The Penang Botanic Gardens, sometimes known as Waterfall Gardens, is a 72-acre garden established in 1884 on an old granite quarry. As beloved as it is though,...

by Penang Monthly

Tantalising Taiwan

5 min read

We encountered quite a few raised eyebrows when we told people we were off to Taiwan for a week. The questions were politely pointed; “What about the lang...

by Sumitra Selvaraj

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