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.
June 2026
Discover Penang Monthly’s June issue: explore the stories behind Penang’s enduring heritage brands, the richness of its multilingual and multicultural heritage, innovative local businesses, community-led initiatives, and the challenges shaping the state’s future. From family enterprises and semiconductor pioneers to traditional food, festivals, education, and environmental sustainability, this issue celebrates Penang’s resilience, identity, and capacity for renewal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Private Schooling Getting Popular
6 min read
With a system that empowers students, more and more Malaysians are putting their children in international schools.
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.
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.
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.
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...
Loving Paris in the Winter
6 min read
Winter is hardly the season of discontent as oft perceived – barren and calcified of major art-tivities because of the “wrathful nipping cold”...
Filming the Intangible
3 min read
Film can be a very reflective and evocative medium that captures the uniqueness of a place and its communities. And that is exactly what the Kaki Lima Short Film Competition aims to highlight.
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