Fighting the Big C
7 min read
Hopes were high when former US President Richard Nixon first declared war on cancer in 1971 through the signing of the National Cancer Act. However, 45 years la...
September 2026
The September Issue Is Out Now! Penang Monthly’s September issue explores the vibrant world of Penang’s pasar malam, highlighting their food, culture, community, traditions, and evolving role in island life.
Traditional Old Cures Find New Devotees
5 min read
Penang is culturally diverse, and it is quite natural that it has on offer a variety of traditional medicines including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Mala...
Just for Jazz
4 min read
Music is an avenue to express oneself, and the passionate heady sounds of jazz allow both performer and listener to become intimately enraptured.
A New Lease of Life for Traditional Puppet Theatre
6 min read
In a lean-to wedged between a temple and a cafe, the audience sits on plastic chairs, waiting. Plucked strings and wooden clappers ring out against the falling...
Penang Offers Much More for the Connoisseur than Just Hawker Food
7 min read
Over a Century of QualityFounded in 1856, Ghee Hiang is a heritage brand name which originated from China in the late Qing Dynasty. “We initially starte...
A Massive Show that is Managing
6 min read
The Sixth Art Stage Singapore (AS6) ended on January 24, 2016 (vernissage January 20) with mixed signals: the hoopla of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebra...
Maintaining a Forest in Shah Alam by and for the People, Hopefully Forever
4 min read
Peak Garden with its lovely views of KL.Slashing and chopping doesn’t come naturally to Alicia Teoh, a tall and elegant city girl. But that doesn&rs...
A Hospital that Puts Fun into Patient Care
6 min read
The "Dr Red Nose Program" at NTUH.What do you expect to see when you walk into the grounds of a prestigious hospital? Perhaps grandiose and legendary buil...
Lessons from Journey to the West
7 min read
Before the story was depicted in films and movies, Xuan Zhang’s mythical journey and the monkey’s adventure were re-enacted on many an opera stage across China.
Time To Be Human
12 min read
At a refugee camp in Darfur, Sudan. Many of the inhabitants have lived here for close to 10 years after fleeing conflict in their villages.This century, t...
Awas! The Organising of Radical Malay Women
6 min read
Awas, Api and Geram demonstration held in Malacca on December 22, 1946.Popular history in Malaysia dictates that independence was won by the right-wing gr...
The Penan’s Lament: “The Forest is Our Skin”
5 min read
Rainforest Hero: The Life and Death of Bruno Manser, by Ruedi Suter, SIRD (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) & Bergli (Basel, Switzerland), 2015. Translated by Ali...
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