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.

Making Penang Island A City

4 min read

According to standard guidelines, Penang Island qualifies to be called a city, and the state government is to gain that upgrade. Hopefully, this can stimulate further improvement – from above and below.

by Datuk Dr. Goh Ban Lee

Penang’s Forgotten Protest: The 1967 Hartal

6 min read

The word “hartal” refers to a cessation of work or businesses in protest against a political decision. While the 1947 hartal, organised by the Pan-M...

by Koay Su-Lyn

My Oh My George Town! Public spaces need publicity – and polish

8 min read

Much emphasis is placed on George Town’s historic buildings. Their architectural styles, unique features and building techniques are the subject of many...

by Penang Monthly

Applause for the Penang budget model

5 min read

Regina Frey, head of the Gender Bureau, Berlin, Germany.The “People Oriented Model” of Gender Responsive Participatory Budgeting (GRPB), conce...

by Penang Monthly

The mystery we call development

9 min read

In the late 1970s, Canadian diplomat David Malone found himself in Sudan, tasked by his government to check in on its $30mil aid programme. Six big projects wer...

by Jeffrey Hardy Quah

Heritage Kept Right

8 min read

When it comes to heritage conservation, strictly maintaining an old building’s infrastructure is not enough. One must ensure that the essence, or the unseen heritage, remains preserved.

by Julia Tan & Yap Jo-yee

Working for ghosts

6 min read

Ornate paper effigy of the King of Hell.The best part of the Hungry Ghost Festival comes at the end of the seventh lunar month, when a melee of Chinese li...

by Marco Ferrarese

A chance to confront death

4 min read

August is usually a month full of taboos for many superstitious Malaysian Chinese. That’s when the Gates of Hell open for a whole month. During the Hungry...

by Julia Tan

The numbers on human trafficking

6 min read

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. It is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Nonetheless, there are thousands of men, women and...

by Penang Monthly

Musical wizard returns to the promise of paint

6 min read

It is a wonder that Datuk M. Nasir chose to stage his first solo painting exhibition on August 9, a month a er turning 57. Nasir is a poet and the Consummate Ar...

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Gentrification-but with the right twist

4 min read

The old Hin Bus Depot on Jalan Gurdwara may have lost many of its walls and part of its roof, but this has only served to turn it into one of the most atmospher...

by Penang Monthly

When Penang became a Spice Island

7 min read

Spices were much sought after, not only to tempt Europe’s tongues but also to cure its sick who were suffering from the plague and other nasty diseases. A...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

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