Much to Learn on this Walk in the Forest
5 min read
A tall forest tree spotted along the walkway at Air Hitam Dalam.Nestled in the heart of Seberang Perai North is one of the last vestiges of mainland Penan...
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.
Hang Tuah as an Icon for Malaysia
5 min read
Last November, Prime Minister Najib Razak launched a new national ambition that sets aside the Vision 2020 programme initiated almost 20 years ago by his newfou...
Letting Theatre Make Sense of the World
5 min read
Christopher Preslar’s stellar performance as the brooding Tom Wingfield in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and his ability to bring a play t...
Tribute to a Visionary Virtuoso
7 min read
John Lee Joo-for, one of the greatest acts in post-Independence Malaysian art and Australian Biblical stage theatre, has died. He breathed his last on June 11 i...
A Venue for a Culture City
6 min read
Since 1972, Dewan Sri Pinang has stood as a monument of modernist architecture along Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah. It has acted as host to almost everything &nd...
Who’s Afraid of Bad Wolves?
7 min read
Miss M performing comedy at SILYMI Presents BOLD.A community development platform seeks to draw out the artist in Penangites, and to function as a conduit...
A Convincing Case for Farquhar
7 min read
The present always becomes the past. And the past in turn is something that slowly settles, obscuring as often as it educates; and in time it becomes hardened t...
The Saints are Still Marching in
4 min read
The long history of St. Xavier’s Institution is both a humble saga and an inspiring story. Back in 1786, the year Penang was founded, French Catholic prie...
Voicing George Town’s Many Mores
7 min read
We often take our traditions for granted. Whether it’s the food we cook during the festive seasons, the traditional games we play on the streets with neig...
The Malaysian Legal System in Numbers
4 min read
As the nation grows and walks through many different epochs, new yet diverse values and culture are embraced by the inhabitants. Hence, the laws and constitution as governing tools must remain relevant along with the rapid changes of the nation.
Remembering Tan Choon Ghee in Ink and Watercolour
6 min read
A rare 1961 self-portrait captures Penang’s legendary watercolourist Tan Choon Ghee (Chen Cun-yi) as a strapping 31-year-old, his gaze intent and his eyes beady. He shows a nondescript steely resolve, as if he were facing phantom imponderables.
More Amazing and Amusing Museums
5 min read
There is a boom in privately owned and run museums in Penang. With themes ranging from the colonial to the downright quirky, their primary objective is to share histories and local cultures, attracting both selfie-loving locals and curious tourists.
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