Guilds that Built Penang
7 min read
Penang became a regional entrepot in the early nineteenth century and with it, various kinds of constructions sprung up to meet the needs of public development...
November 2025
This November, Penang Monthly explores language, place and memory. As GTLF returns, we highlight Penang’s multilingual streets and the dialects that keep local history alive.
The Lions Dance On
6 min read
The lion dance is usually performed on Chinese festive occasions to bring luck and drive away evil spirits, and during Chinese New Year, lorries ferrying lion d...
Celebrating Chinese New Year the Baba-Nyonya Way
5 min read
Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivals to the Baba-Nyonyas. Given their long history of assimilating into the local non-Chinese community, certain Chinese New Year traditions naturally differ.
A Mualaf Celebrates Chinese New Year
4 min read
For the millions of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia, Chinese New Year is a huge occasion – hundreds or even thousands of ringgit are set aside for angpao, hous...
In Love with a Pearl
3 min read
I have a special affinity with Penang. In my 23-year career with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), I spent almost four years over two postings living in Pe...
Challenging Times Ahead for Art Fairs in Asia
7 min read
A newspaper clipping on the cancellation of Art Stage Singapore, in the Singapore Straits Times.The abrupt cancellation of Art Stage (AS) Singapore a week...
Imitating His Way to Originality
4 min read
A self-portrait of Zhou.The Zhou YongJiu Art Exhibition was held at the Camera Museum up on Penang Hill last October to create awareness of the hardships...
Steadfastly Serving the Needy
5 min read
The opening of JHM-Rotary Kidney Dialysis Centre.The Rotary Job-Link Centre seeks to develop the potential of disabled individuals so that they...
Heritage Education Made Fun!
4 min read
Over the years and outside the classroom, several local organisations have come up with creative ways to make learning fun for youths.In Penang, Arts-ED, a no...
Making Sure Our Taps Will Never Run Dry
5 min read
Datuk Ir. Jaseni Maidinsa.World Water Day – March 22 – is about addressing the reasons why so many people are left without clean water.Penan...
Cameron Highlands – From Hill Station to Agricultural Heartland
9 min read
Cameron Highlands derives its name from William Cameron, a government surveyor who brought official note to its surrounding plateau in 1885. Cameron never saw t...
The Tale of a Japanese Peranakan
5 min read
Tanaka and his mother.At 51, Adel Yap Lye Meng is finally ready to share her story.“Many of us keep it secret because of the vitriolic criticism w...
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