Empowering the rural poor in Thailand
6 min read
Pick your size – are you a Republican or a Democrat?“You should try it out tonight,” a female voice teases a group of friends as they wa...
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.
Ballet illuminated!
5 min read
How early did you start dancing? Who or what inspired you to put on your dancing shoes?I started taking ballet lessons when I was two-and-a-half years old....
Four Lakes and A Tent
7 min read
A road trip through Europe need not be expensive. All you need is a car, good camping gear and an adventurous spirit.
Brain Drain in Numbers
4 min read
We provide you the stark figures on the brain drain phenomenon that is going on in Malaysia.
Juniors with Big Dreams
4 min read
What does a bunch of 14-year-olds have in common with Michael Jackson, K-Pop bands and a human in a fox suit? Well, for one thing, they all dance very well.
Valley of Art
7 min read
In bad times, good art flourishes. Is this what we are seeing in the Klang Valley?
Where Money Doesn’t Talk (Not Much, Anyway)
4 min read
Cleaning a drain or chopping wood may not be that much fun, but a gotong-royong spirit does help to build a community that’s nicer to live in.
From Cancer Survivors to Social Champions: A Relay for Hope
6 min read
How does one turn the painful and harrowing experience of battling cancer into one that can inspire others and give hope where it seems to be lost? Sukhveer Kaur and Daljit Singh share their stories.
Bringing City Planning Up to Date
4 min read
Creative cities attract creative people. But without creative people with innovative ideas in the first place, how is a city to become creative?
Crowdfunding: Leveraging the Power of People, the Internet and Social Media
6 min read
Crowdfunding is not a new concept, but with the Internet and social media, it has gained traction as a powerful tool.
Exporting Grey Matter: What is the Brain Drain Costing Us?
15 min read
Can there really be any benefits to the persistent brain drain out of Malaysia? The numbers seem to say so. But knowledge and skills are intangible commodities that are the basis of innovation – commodities that we are rapidly losing as more and more high-skilled Malaysians emigrate.
Mustafa Akyol: A Muslim Case For Liberty
10 min read
While Akyol accepts that the debate tends to put liberalism at loggerheads with Islam, in particular with conservatives, he strongly disagrees that they are incompatible.
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