Bringing World Cuisine to Penang
6 min read
Much of Penang’s appeal lies in the myriad types of cuisine available there. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Syrian, Lebanese, Italian, American, German and Fr...
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.
Taste, in Words
5 min read
Laparpo: Popularising Halal FoodPenang’s food-blogging scene abounds – naturally – with passionate subject-matter experts. Penang TuaPui and...
Slow Food is Good Food
8 min read
In 1986 a protest against the opening of a McDonald’s near Rome’s Spanish Steps took place. Carlo Petrini led the campaign against the founding of t...
Talk about Market Forces!
5 min read
The freshest produce – so fresh, the chickens are still squawking in their cages – and the latest gossip await at the market.
Food and Politics
6 min read
As I spend more time in politics, I find that food features prominently.When I was first elected in 2013, between August and September that year (during the C...
The Warung – A Pit Stop for Refreshment and Some Culture
4 min read
The moment Pak Mat stands up from his chair, fixing his shabby East Coast batik sarong and reaching for his Kelantanese batik lepas headcloth that has been hang...
Enough With Penang Food Already! What About the Drinks?
3 min read
Yes, Penang has amazing food, be it fusion or hybrid, street or mall, traditional or accidental. And yes, it has amazing desserts too, like the Penang Road te...
Penang Economic Indicators
2 min read
The economic performance of Malaysia and Penang has been strong for past six years, with an average annual growth of 5%. Penang’s gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita were higher than the national figures, which is a good sign.
Malaysia’s GDP Growth Masks a Dark Truth
5 min read
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have increased their projection of Malaysia’s GDP growth this year to 5.2% and 4.8% respectively. This is due to the unexpected GDP surge of 5.7% in the first half of 2017.
The More the Money, the More the Taxes
8 min read
Penang Monthly charts the sources of federal government revenue. Over the last 45 years, government revenue has registered impressive annual growth rates: in 1970 it hit RM2.4bil; by 2015, it had exceeded RM219bil.
Penang’s Aquaculture Sector Does Swimmingly Well
6 min read
The highly profitable aquaculture industry not only nets in millions of ringgit, it also creates employment and business opportunities for Penang’s population.
Preparing for Industry 4.0
5 min read
What is Industry 4.0? At a very high level, it is about the integration of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of production processes. It is the pursuit of “smart factory” capabilities.
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