Making tourism lasting
4 min read
Prof Badaruddin Mohamed remembers a time when few people were interested in the phenomenon of tourism, or at least tourism research.“In 1990, the numb...
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.
The Future Must Be Green
5 min read
The bird catchers came on Sunday, three men smoking cigarettes and talking in loud voices. They settled in the tiny padang beside my garden. “Catching bir...
George Town remains young at heart
5 min read
Nothing ever changes in George Town, yet everything changes all the time. Old shophouses stand unchanged to face the test of time, but within them new shops and...
TEDx Weld Quay's Artistry within offers Penang a different stroke
1 min read
On October 12 this year, Penang hosts the TEDx Weld Quay, named after the charming clan jetties at the water edge of George Town. To be held a...
Embracing Islam's Diversity
7 min read
What is the historical background of the Sunni-Shiite conflict?There are two major schools among Muslims: the As-Sahabah school (the companions, disciples,...
Time to mainstream forensic science
6 min read
During my studies in the UK, the murder trial of Stephen Lawrence was something no forensic science student could afford to overlook. With double jeopardy laws...
Devotion to the Nine Emperors
5 min read
Every year, during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, devotees of the Nine Emperor Gods celebrate for nine days and nights, creating places of intense worship in parts of Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
The GST & YOU
15 min read
The likelihood is very high that the National Budget being tabled on October 25 will introduce the country to a Goods and Services Tax (GST). This move is drive...
The first and forgotten Chief Minister of Penang
6 min read
When it comes to the history of Penang’s modernisation, the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu’s name will always appear. His legacy, from the Free Trade Zone...
Make our main roads Welcoming for Walkers
4 min read
Penang Island has undergone tremendous changes in the popular mode of transport over the last few decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, when there were not too many...
Is Petronas feeding a fatal habit?
7 min read
The first oil well in Malaysia was called the Grand Old Lady. This was in Miri, Sarawak. Also known as Oil Well No. 1, it was operated by the Royal Shell Compan...
Bukit Brown Activism: A Race to Save History
6 min read
With a motto that states “We guide rain or shine”, the Bukit Brown volunteers in Singapore are fighting against time to save a crucial piece of the island nation’s history.
Explore column