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.

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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.

No Smooth Sailing for the Second Half of 2016

7 min read

More Jobs in the Market Hiring activity recorded a steep improvement in the first three months of 2016. The Monster Employment Index, generated by global on...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Hudud Threatens the Future of Malaysia

8 min read

Once again, our nation is beguiled by the spectre of hudud, a term loosely used to reference the syariah penal code. Every once in a while, hudud emerges like a...

by Zairil Khir Johari

The Changing Harbour Front

11 min read

It was inevitable that George Town should evolve beyond its role as a harbour and centre of maritime trade. The historic port, which once greeted the ancestors...

by Khoo Su Nin

Khoo Su Nin

Where the Sea Meets the City is Where the World Meets Penang

13 min read

The role and identity of waterfronts today vary depending on the community they serve. Traditionally, waterfronts are defined as the part of a town fronting o...

by Evelyn Teh

The Tongkang – Symbol of the Entrepot Age

7 min read

It was the 1920s. Penang Harbour, stretching from Swettenham Pier to Pengkalan Weld, bustled endlessly. Bullock carts and handcarts transported goods of all kin...

by Pan Yi Chieh

Rice Miller: A Projection of Penang’s Pioneer Spirit

10 min read

The hotel lobby.Residence living room.Located right in the heart of the inner city, facing the old jetties that sustained many of Penang...

by Andrea Filmer

Penang and Kuching Redefine Malaysia’s Urban Cool

5 min read

Saying that Penang and Kuching have a lot in common can disorientate – they sit at two separate ends of the nation, with an ocean of differences in betwee...

by Marco Ferrarese

A Pulsating Play that is a Stroll of Rediscovery

4 min read

Singaporeans Lim Yu-Beng and Tan Kheng Hua are no strangers to Malaysians – especially Tan, who is famously known as Margaret Phua from the long-running h...

by Razan Rose

Public Transport Must be Affordable, Convenient – and Sustainable

8 min read

In recent decades, development in Asia has been phenomenal. And so has the building of roads. From Bangkok to Beijing, the endless spaghetti of super highways h...

by Lim Mah Hui

Lim Mah Hui

Zooming in on Bugs

5 min read

Few of us think of insects as incredibly interesting animals, but it was exactly the sight of bugs that brought together Husni Che Ngah, 45, from Kuala Terengga...

by Marco Ferrarese

Ways of Becoming

2 min read

The earth is dark. Gley soil mixed with alluvium, made heavy by the monsoon rains. Dusk is falling. Amid the quiet all is not quite still. A circling of birds....

by Gareth Richards

Malaysia’s Parliament and Courts– No Longer Supreme

7 min read

I engaged in polite conversation, as one often does in such situations, with the person seated next to me during a recent regional conference in KL.“So...

by Zairil Khir Johari

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