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.

Charcoal Makers of Kampung Keluat

3 min read

A sign that the charcoal is ready is when the smell of burning wood turns from a spicy scent to a herbal one. When this transformation happens, the chimney is sealed and the logs left to cure.

by Chris Jung

Let’s globalise wisely

2 min read

There is much to worry about in the world today, 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which should give us reason to pause and consider what the long-t...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Tan Jetty on a Cloudy Morning at Low Tide

Tan Jetty on a cloudy morning at low tide.

by Ivan Lim

Growing Old and Staying Young in a Brave New World

3 min read

The ICT revolution has been taking place all my adult life: I bought my first home computer in 1990 when I was 35, my first mobile phone a decade later, and then my first smartphone about a decade after that.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

At the Heart of Bukit Mertajam

2 min read

Bukit Mertajam, once an agricultural settlement, is today a prosperous commercial centre. The town gained attention from the British in the nineteenth century and its growth has continued unabated.

by Mohd Shahrizal

The Beat of Our Souls: Kuda Kepang and the Spiritual Self

5 min read

The more complex rituals of the Kuda Kepang, as practiced by skilled performers, go beyond the colour and the delight. They demand our intellectual attention for something deeply rooted in our primeval past.

by Cheryl J Hoffmann

The interplay between Form and Flair

2 min read

Watching the recent World Cup matches brought to my mind the snug relationship between Form and Flair. Football seen on the TV screen shows clearly how differ...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

The November Floods in Numbers

2 min read

Of all the natural disasters in Malaysia, floods are the most frequent, accounting for approximately 63% of all disasters and bringing the highest damage annual...

by Penang Monthly

I Need A Mountain Spring

2 min read

I need to find a mountain spring, that man has never seen or touched, that only deer come to drink, and birds and squirrels can vouch.

by Khoo Soo Hay

Khoo Soo Hay

A Final Quarrel Between a Repentant Grandfather and Old-fashioned Self-absorbed Parents

2 min read

As the 14th general election draws near, the sense that Malaysia – and the whole Asia-Pacific region, for that matter – must now leap into a new era...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Everyday India

5 min read

In recent years, news headlines have pictured India as a land of fear, abuse and, in particular, rape. As a lover of the subcontinent and someone who has travelled to 30 of its 36 states and union territories, I beg to disagree.

by Marco Ferrarese & Chan Kit Yeng

Xenophobia Signals Crisis

3 min read

A clear connection seems to exist between an economy’s health, on the one hand, and that society’s handling of religious and ethnic minorities, on the other.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

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