Hacking the Next Normal
7 min read
COVID-19 SENT the world into disarray, and we now face unprecedented challenges in dealing with the ramifications of movement restrictions, and reviving our soc...
September 2025
This September, we explore Seberang Perai Selatan. Our stories cover Nibong Tebal’s Teochew heritage and sugar legacy, Batu Kawan’s evolution into a township, Penang’s waste challenges at Pulau Burung, the brackish rivers of the south, and the communities that shape the district today.
See What's Inside
Need for Speed: Penang’s Broadband Dilemma
7 min read
It was not too long ago when the modem sang a dial-up tune every time I wanted to connect to the internet. Mum’s occasional phone call meant tha...
After a Year in Power, Has Pakatan Harapan Learnt Enough to Save Malaysia from Itself?
4 min read
The big debate in Malaysia one year after the change in government on May 9, 2018, concerns the unfolding nature of Pakatan Harapan (PH).No one seriously doub...
Do You Remember Having a Memory?
2 min read
Have you noticed that one easy way to look cool nowadays is to carry a book with you? It can sit leisurely in your hand or be lightly squeezed under your armp...
Carbon Offsetting: A Faulty Solution That Encourages Fraud?
2 min read
Carbon offsetting is a concept that involves investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for (or offset) one’s own carbon footprint...
Middle Bank – Penang’s Central Park
7 min read
HISTORY seldom follows a distinct and predictable line of events. Contingencies, serendipities, good luck and bad luck, all come into play. Naturally, therefore...
Organic Does Not Equal Sustainable
3 min read
ORGANIC FOOD HAS gained a lot of traction in Malaysia and around the world in recent years – the label has even extended to non-food products like lipsticks mad...
Covid-19: Fiscal Challenges Await Most Governments
7 min read
COUNTRIES ARE LIKENING the Covid-19 pandemic to war and indeed, we are observing wartime spending levels across the globe. Malaysia’s RM260bil fiscal stim...
Covid-19 and the Rohingya: Staying Home when One is Homeless
7 min read
On April 16 Malaysia made headlines when the Royal Malaysian Navy turned away a boat carrying 200 Rohingya men, women and children; the boat is still reportedly adrift at sea.
How Aware Are We?
9 min read
AS THE COMBINED Covid-19 cases reach a staggering 2 million and counting, global healthcare systems are being stretched beyond their limits.Initial public res...
Working for Peace and Justice is an Uphill Battle
5 min read
WORKING FOR PEACE is an attractive, but nebulous cause. Without Justice, conflicts are hard to avoid and peace gets disrupted. And so, the work begins again on...
Celebrating Ten Years of Art Writing
5 min read
TEN years ago, Penang was still a backwater in the national art narrative. There were signs of little titillations, though, that signaled a potential resurgence...
Explore column