An Air Ferry for Penang
6 min read
With two bridges linking Penang’s island and mainland, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng now looks towards an aerial connection to stitch more tightly the state’s two halves together.
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.
Building Batu Kawan Brick by Brick
10 min read
The vast and vacant territory of Batu Kawan – formerly a backwater – is now buzzing with activity and anticipation. It lies at the start of the Second Penang Bridge which opened just over a year ago.
Bukit Mertajam Offers Some Rare Authenticity
6 min read
Bukit Mertajam might be well off the tourist map, but it has much more to offer than what its reputation as George Town’s satellite suggests. We take a walk to the town’s centre and meet its protagonists.
Butterworth Beckons: A Bright Future Awaits East Penang
13 min read
It lies just 3km across the North Channel from George Town, but for most island side Penangites, Butterworth is a world away.
Renminbi Rising – Slowly But Steadily
8 min read
On the one hand, the use of RMB has expanded by leaps and bounds in trade settlement in offshore financial centres with the support of the Peoples’ Bank of China, while discussions in China are still addressing the basic issue: can the internationalisation of the RMB be expected to benefit China?
Penang on the Verge of a Revolution in Waste Management
7 min read
Applying bacteria technology to recycle waste, a Penang company is turning our mounting throwaways into liquid fertilisers, reducing the need for landfills.
Increasing Drug Reliability through Collective Action
6 min read
With hundreds of trials done in each medical area, the results can be confusing or even contradictory. What can be done? Enter the Cochrane review.
Keeping the Orphans Safe
5 min read
Situated along Penang’s Jalan Scotland, the Ramakrishna Ashrama has come a long way since it was founded in 1938. This orphanage survived World War II and the Japanese Occupation of Malaya.
The History of Bukit Mertajam Part I – From Agrarian Village to Economic Hub
6 min read
In Part I of this two-part series, we shall see how Bukit Mertajam grew to become a population, economic and transport hub by the early 20th century.
A Show of Images Small, Succinct and Sensational
5 min read
Diversity is perhaps best noticed and accepted when artistic and cultural expressions are clearly framed and starkly expressed. By encouraging small and mobile paintings, inspiration gets democratised.
Where There’s A Will, There Can Be Light
4 min read
The very small village of Long Rusu in Sarawak, population 20, is supplied with hydroelectricity, thanks to a spirit of gotong-royong.
Let’s Clean Up Our Island City
4 min read
In general, human settlements are called villages, towns or cities, depending on size and importance. But more often than not, the difference between “town” and “city” is unclear.
Explore column