April 2026

Our latest issue explores efforts to preserve and innovate local traditions, support creative industries, and promote sustainable growth in small towns across Malaysia.

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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.

Recovering the Forgotten Art of Making Lem Peng

6 min read

Lem peng is traditionally baked in a large bok kang (clay pot) over a charcoal fire for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. The clay pot is filled with sand and covered with paper, and the lem peng is placed over the paper.

by Dr. Ong Jin Teong

Tan Shih Thoe Talks About the Business of Art at Hin Bus Depot

7 min read

HIN BUS DEPOT celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and so, Penang Monthly thinks it a great occasion to sit down with Tan Shih Thoe, the brain (and the br...

by Alexander Fernandez

Do Nothing and It Shall Be Done: Placemaking in Balik Pulau

6 min read

Jerry, the owner, co-founder and cook extraordinaire at Nada Natural Farming, believes in the dolce far niente—the sweetness of doing nothing. This philosophy has spilled over to the entire conception of Nada, from how it is run, to what it is meant to be.

by Sheryl Teoh

Humanity at the AI Crossroads: Balancing Privacy, Bias and Progress

5 min read

As computers become increasingly omnipresent, and as algorithms grow uncannily precise, concerns mount—what are the undesirable consequences of AI?

by Medeleine Tee

Out From The Vestiges

3 min read

Photos from Tan Shih Thoe

by Rachel Yeoh

Creative Hubs

1 min read

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by Hajar Ariff

Hin Bus Depot: A Decade of Stimulating Creative Resurgence in Penang

7 min read

NESTLED IN THE heart of George Town, Hin Bus Depot is more than a historic landmark; it is a pulsating creative community hub sprawling over 60,000 ft2 , exposi...

by Ivan Gabriel

Penang Offers Spaces for Musicians to Dare to Grow

4 min read

FROM TRADITIONAL Chinese Malaysiana folk music to modern jazz, Penang Island has been home to many genres of music for generations. And not dissimilar to other...

by Isaac Ho

Ernest Zacharevic’s Decade of Art, Rubbish and Transformation

9 min read

At his studio in Lebuh Melayu, surrounded by his stunning works of art, some completed, others still in progress, we talk to Ernest about his journey as an artist and what art means to him.

by Sheryl Teoh

The Bel Retiro Roundtable Wonders about Penang’s Far Future

4 min read

SURVIVING THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL crises of these past years, it would be all too understandable if Penangites doubled down and dug into the trenches to just surv...

by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz

Armwrestling Gets A Grip In Penang

5 min read

Photos by Arieff Zafir

by Liani MK

Yoga: From Ancient Traditions to Modern Healing

2 min read

At its core, yoga aims at taking care of the individual, assuming the rationale that a good, balanced and integrated person is more useful to oneself, family, society, nation, nature and humanity.

by Priyanka Bansal

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