November 2025

This November, Penang Monthly explores language, place and memory. As GTLF returns, we highlight Penang’s multilingual streets and the dialects that keep local history alive.

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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.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Heritage

7 min read

It’s the word du jour, “heritage”. International organisations vote to acknowledge and list it (for protection purposes, among...

by Julia Tan

Handling the Intangibles: Heritage Management in George Town

14 min read

The road to becoming a World Heritage site was not easy for George Town and Melaka – the paperwork, inventorying, filing and so on all required exhaustive work.

by Julia Tan & Jeremy Tan

Jeremy Tan

In Search of a Place to Call Home

7 min read

In Butterworth, 10-year-old Mohamed Noor is playing football with his friends in an alley behind a row of shophouses. The children are speaking fluent...

by Chan Xin Ying & Hasanah Akhir

Not Just Passing Through: Marine Mammals Are Native to Our Northwestern Shores

5 min read

MANY MOONS AGO, as a young post-doctoral scientist just returned to Malaysia after a decade of studying abroad, I was looking for a site where I could begin my...

by Louisa S. Ponnampalam

Blue Carbon: A Fragile Defence Against Climate Change

5 min read

LIGHT SPILLS ACROSS the still waters of Middle Bank, one of the largest groves of seagrass in the Strait of Malacca. Crabs and cockles find shelter beneath undu...

by Ryan Wong & Dr. Chee Su Yin

Interview With Nik Nazmi: Moving Malaysia Towards Renewable Energy

9 min read

When Nik Nazmi became the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC), a ministry with one of the broadest portfolios, he had to hit t...

by Rachel Yeoh

Carla’s Peak: A Gem on the North Coast of Penang Island

5 min read

THE PICTURESQUE NORTH coast of Penang is the poster child for the island’s natural beauty, featuring golden beaches flanked by steep, densely forested hills. Jo...

by Rexy Prakash Chacko

Plastics Are Strange Presences, and They Are Not Going Away Anytime Soon

5 min read

WITHIN THE BEAUTY and bizarre logic of plastic is the potential it projects. It heralded multitudes of possibility in form, chemistry and design. The mass produ...

by Chin Kar Yern

Printmaking Art: A Mature Art Form Disrupted by New Techniques

4 min read

PRINTMAKING ART IS produced by transferring visual images or drawings from a carved or etched surface (e.g. wood block or metal plate) onto paper through a proc...

by Nicole Chang

What One Sees on Middle Bank and Pulau Gazumbo

3 min read

Photos by Liam Wong.ON 20 APRIL, Penang Institute staff, guided by Prof Zulfigar Yasin and Hanis Razalli, visited the soon-to-be Middle Bank Marine Sanctuary an...

by Sheryl Teoh

Middle Bank - A Walk Through Penang's Secret Seagrass Garden

5 min read

TRADITIONALLY CALLED Pearl of the Orient, Penang was once surrounded by unpolluted seas, which were exemplified by habitats of coral reefs. Unfortunately, rapid...

by Assoc. Prof. Gs. Dr. Anisah J. Lee Abdullah

From Sea to Table: The Food Fish of Penang

5 min read

PENANG'S HISTORY AS a centre for fishing and marine trade can be traced back centuries. As a thriving port city, Penang has long been a regional hub for moving...

by Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulfigar Yasin & Hanis Razalli

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