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September 2026

The September Issue Is Out Now! Penang Monthly’s September issue explores the vibrant world of Penang’s pasar malam, highlighting their food, culture, community, traditions, and evolving role in island life.

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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.
The Kelantan Floods

The Kelantan Floods

4 min read
Freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker Jules Ong was one of many to organise contributions of such aid to be delivered to blind spots in the coverage of flood relief efforts.
by Danny Lim
To Excel is to Stay Curious

To Excel is to Stay Curious

3 min read
How often have we not woken up at 3am in the morning with a novel solution to pressing questions that we could not solve while awake? Interlinking, integrating, interlacing… that seems to be how the brain works, or at least when we let it work.
by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng
Linked by Bike!

Linked by Bike!

1 min read
Malaysia’s first public-sharing bicycle system, LinkBike, was launched in 2016. Within a year, the cheerfully blue bicycles have become a common sight on...
by Ivan Lim
All That Glitters in George Town

All That Glitters in George Town

10 min read
Sin Taik Wang is a little shop on Pitt Street, where for decades the Hars have made traditional votive paper flowers, known as kim hua in Hokkien. The scene is timeless, but the shop – and George Town’s last remaining kim hua makers – may be gone by the end of the month.
by Soon-Tzu Speechley
Events

Events

4 min read
FoodScenes involving characters having afternoon tea and nibbling on crumpets – and more often than not scheming away – are frequently seen in...
by Penang Monthly
The Life of A Living Goddess

The Life of A Living Goddess

4 min read
In Nepal, there is a centuries-old Hindu tradition of worshiping pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of divine female energy. Kumari Devi, or Kumari, is revered and worshipped by some of the country’s Hindus as well as Buddhists as a living goddess, the incarnation of Durga.
by Chris Jung
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