Oktoberfest
1 min read
Penangites and Germans bonded over bratwuerste, beer, and Bavarian beats at the Malaysian German Society’s Oktoberfest—an evening of dancing, drinking, and delightful cultural chaos.
November 2026
Penang Monthly | November 2026 is out now. This month, we journey through Penang’s South Asian links—from the enduring energy of George Town’s Little India to the remarkable restoration of Wadda Gurdwara Sahib. Discover stories of Punjabi cha, Ganesha at the threshold, traditional trades, migration, literature, art and the people keeping living heritage alive across Penang. Because heritage is more than buildings and archives—it is found in the languages we speak, the food we share, the work we do and the memories we carry.
Islamic matters in Pakatan states
5 min read
Political competition between the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat coalitions is predicated on numerous fronts, the more sensitive of which involves religious matters.
It’s been an exhilarating year
2 min read
The revamped PEM has now been around a year since the preview issue came out in September 2009. The response has been consistently good.
George Town Festival
3 min read
In July, the Penang state government held the inaugural George Town Festival, in celebration of its listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Initially a one-day...
How will nationalism evolve?
2 min read
The biggest trick that the nation-state concept has pulled on modern man is the proposal that there is an essential line between the external and the internal.
Remembering Yong Mun Sen (Born Kuching, Sarawak, January 10, 1896. Died Penang, September 29,1962)
12 min read
Often called the "Father of Malaysian Painting", Yong Mun Sen was a fourth-generation Malayan who grew up in Kuching but ended his days in Penang. Much has been written and said about him but strangely, none from the true heir in spirit and substance, his son Cheng Wah (born 1943).
Penang's Pride - 25 years of the Penang Bridge
4 min read
When the iconic Penang Bridge was opened to the public in 1985 it marked an important milestone in Malaysia's economic development, linking the mainland with the Free Trade Zone on the island.
Jewel of Muscat
2 min read
AMIDST THE USUAL assortment of tankers, ferries and fishing boats, the 18-metre Jewel of Muscat was an anachronism: made completely out of wood with not a single nail used, and hailing all the way to Penang from Qantab, Oman.
Youths Learn that a Crisis is a Time of Positive and Negative Change
9 min read
From colleagues to friends. Farhanah enjoys a morning workout with her colleagues from Vouk Hotel Suites. Photo: Farhanah AzizanFarhanah (second from ri...
Changing recipe in industrial production
9 min read
Every recipe needs the right ingredients for success; get the mix right and walk away with a winning formula; get the mix wrong and the dish could fall flat...
Speakers’ Square
2 min read
Kwong Wah Yit Poh“ Lend me your ears...”As trite a saying as that may be, Penangites are taking advantage of Speakers’ Square at Esp...
The Present comes before the Past
2 min read
The past is significant not because of itself, but because the present – and the future – needs it.
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