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.

See Inside Read as Flipbook

Hello and welcome!

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.

Reconsider the Entry Ban

4 min read

The government needs to justify, clarify and communicate with the public why the magic number “150,000” was chosen. On what scientific grounds do 150,000 Covid-19 cases in a country makes it “high-risk”? Are there no other factors that should be considered in identifying high-risk nations?

by Dato' Seri Lee Kah Choon

Diagnosing Covid-19’s Impact on Malaysia’s Medical Tourism

5 min read

OVER THE PAST two years, medical tourism has witnessed exponential growth, facilitated by the dissolution of travel barriers, the spread of internet usage, and...

by Yap Jo-yee

George Town Festival 2011

2 min read

The George Town Festival returned for a second year and was bigger than ever. The month-long festival, held in July, celebrates the city’s listing as a Unesco W...

by Penang Monthly

Must We Stay Victims of Past Strategies?

2 min read

From August 2, 2011, the name of the research centre that produces this magazine is changed from SERI to Penang Institute.While there are several reasons fo...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Malaysia’s High Income Journey in Perspective

2 min read

DR PHILIP SCHELLEKENS, senior economist with the East Asia and Pacific Department at the World Bank, gave a presentation at SERI last month, providing the World...

by Penang Monthly

And Now… Car Sharing Comes to Town

3 min read

THE TIMING COULDN’T have been more fortuitous for TREVO, a peer-to-peer car sharing platform. A subsidiary of SOCAR, TREVO was launched in February in the...

by Ernest Mah Herh Sun

Technology is Changing the Childhood We Once Knew

4 min read

IF YOU THINK millennials – those born in 1980-2001 – are selfie-taking hipsters, well, think again. Many are now parents to Generation Alpha (2010-2...

by Emilia Ismail

Penang’s WCIT Tech Fest Takes Place Online this November

3 min read

ON NOVEMBER 18-20, Penang will reframe the highly-anticipated international festival TECHFEST Live ft. ROAD-TO-WCIT Malaysia into an online event that promises...

by Penang Island City Council

Penang Island City Council

The Decade-old GTLF Migrates Online During Covid-19

5 min read

THE INITIAL PLANS for the 2020 George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) were for it to be celebratory – to look back on 10 years of work, while also looking f...

by William Tham

Bioplastics Needed More than Ever

7 min read

HUMANS TRULY ARE an innovative species. The use and control of fire; the simple yet sophisticated wheel; cars, ocean liners, aircrafts, spaceships; and the Inte...

by Jo-Ann Chuah

Jo-Ann Chuah

Making Penang More Resilient to Disasters

5 min read

Sustainable development is targeted at finding pragmatic strategies to promote economic and social development in ways that avoid environmental degradation, over-exploitation and pollution.

by Dr. Lee Khiam Jin

CEMACS’ Coastal Cleanup Month Nets Cigarette Butts, Face Masks and Gloves

3 min read

TAKE A LONG leisurely walk along Penang’s beaches. What do you see? Iterations of clustered seashells dotting their lengths perhaps, but among them as wel...

by Annette Jaya Ram & Dr. Abe Woo Sau Pinn

Total posts

3527

Explore column

Ads

Support us

As Penang Monthly continues to evolve, we aim to deliver better quality reads. At present, our issues are free to be read. But we need your financial support as we endeavour to be the voice of Penang and an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian. Every RM100 contribution from individuals (or RM1,000 from corporations) will be entitled to tax exemption receipt.

Explore column

Feature

Editorial

Cover Story

Statistics

Photo Essay

Covid-19 Exclusives

Penang Profile

Ask Azmi