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.
Having had So Much Time to Think Recently, We Should Now Be Able to Act Smarter
3 min read
WISDOM COMES MOST easily to the recluse; that’s a process long been recognised and advocated throughout human history, and in most societies and civilisations....
St Anne's Festival
2 min read
In July every year, Bukit Mertajam comes to life as pilgrims flock to St Anne’s Church to take part in the massive St Anne’s Festival. The festival...
George Town Festival: Surviving Covid and Other Changes
6 min read
THE GEORGE TOWN Festival (GTF), since its inception in 2010, has gone from strength to strength, cementing its name as one of the most important art festivals i...
Events
4 min read
FAMILY FUNBond with your children at home with the Family Bingo Challenge. Participate in either the Creative Family Photo “We Are Family” or Creative Family Bi...
Pulau Kendi - A Glimpse of Old Penang's Rich Waters
5 min read
PENANG ISLAND'S SCENIC southern coast is an area of outstanding beauty, known for its rich fishery. The shallow seabed here is flanked by two satellite islands,...
Portraying the Penan, Up Close and Intimate
5 min read
THEY ARE INSIGHTFUL portraits, ethnographic studies in fact of the remaining straggly bands of the nomadic Penan, unknown to the world beyond the forests, river...
Are We Witnessing the Bankruptcy Proceedings of the Malay Agenda?
4 min read
FOR THE FIRST elected government since independence that is not based around the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to fall within 20 months, one has to...
Walk Zone: Air Itam - Once the de facto Capital of Penang
6 min read
Air Itam (Black Waters, a commonplace name throughout the Malay Peninsula) is an inland town in Penang Island. Located at the northeastern foothills and blessed with vibrant natural environs, its modern history is related to agricultural and plantation trade, and to ecological preservation.
Leaving London and George Town for a Quiet English Village Can Bring Peace
4 min read
A great reverse migration is happening the world over. Instead of big cities, youths are now seeking greener pastures in the countryside, and the great outdoors.
Welcoming a New Era of Economic Collaboration between Penang and Indonesia
5 min read
INDONESIA CELEBRATED HER 76th year of independence on August 17 and Malaysia her 64th two weeks later, on August 31. Most expressive of these neighbouring count...
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