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.

Is the Malaysian Extreme Music Scene Stagnant or Subtly Evolving?

6 min read

Ferrarese.To South-East Asia’s metal punk zealots, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, Marco Ferrarese is no stranger. Travel writer, metal punk r...

by Izzuddin Ramli

Flip-flops Trip Key Education Reforms

5 min read

In September 2013 the Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, a document touted by then Education Minister Tan Sri Muhy...

by Zairil Khir Johari

Time to Reform Public Universities

13 min read

Last May, Penang Monthly examined the condition of private higher education in the country. Now, we look at the challenges facing public universities.

by Geoffrey Williams

Geoffrey Williams

Education – Ever The Political Victim

12 min read

The painful history of education policy shifts tells us that the power of the Ministry of Education must be drastically cut. It's out with the old and in with the new every time a crisis engulfs the country's leadership – and all at the expense of our children's education.

by Zairil Khir Johari

Crowdfund Your Way to a Higher Education

4 min read

Co-founded by undergraduates from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and National University of Singapore (NUS), Skolafund is a recent online start-up that aims to help as many people as possible to obtain higher education.

by Chang Jia Ying

The Luxury of Home-schooling

6 min read

Tailored to the particular child’s needs, home-schooling is considered by many parents to be the best option – even in Singapore.

by Laotse Sacker

Home-schooling – An Applauded Option

5 min read

National schools were once the first choice most Malaysian parents made for their children. However, in recent years, home-schooling has been a growing trend.

by Chang Jia Ying

Private Schooling Getting Popular

6 min read

With a system that empowers students, more and more Malaysians are putting their children in international schools.

by Jonathan Yong Tienxhi

The Devoted Pioneers of Girls’ Education in Malaya

6 min read

The Convent Light Street School, modestly nestled along Lebuh Light, proudly declares its motto to passersby: “Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty”. This motto and the school’s name are reminders of the pioneering nuns who founded the oldest girls’ school in Malaysia.

by Louise Goss-Custard

Even Tastier Times Ahead

5 min read

For Diane Ong, the exhaustion she endured from rapidly opening two restaurants and an art gallery in Selangor turned into exhilaration when she was offered the opportunity to start a third eatery – this time, in Penang.

by Sean Yoong

Fusing Modern Skills with Traditional Crafts

5 min read

Art festival Urban Xchange 2015 brought together young artists and traditional handicraft masters to re-imagine Penang’s heritage.

by Marco Ferrarese

What is the TPPA?

5 min read

2017-08-092017-08-09The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a free trade agreement (FTA) which involves a variety of socioeconomic policy issues. Curr...

by Penang Monthly

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