Patongko! Is Definitely Not a Swear Word
3 min read
SOMETIMES, WHEN I have nothing better to do, I wonder about how things are discovered. For instance, who was the first person who picked up an egg and thought,...
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.
Mari Meme-ngundi: Taking a Look at Political Memes During Malaysia’s GE15
5 min read
ONE DOES NOT simply change the way politics is viewed in Malaysia. Unless you are a meme. In which case you would look something like this: Odd, odd times...
How the Young View Work
10 min read
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Zs are the largest age cohorts in the workforce; according to Statista, they now make up approximately 75% of Malaysia’s labour force.[1]Giv...
EVENTS IN JANUARY
3 min read
RUNGet ready to ring in the Lunar New Year with friends and family at the MBSP CNY Run 2023 organised by MBSP! The 5-km run aims to promote healthy habits and f...
General on the Great Hill: US Civil War Hero Visits Penang – Part Two
7 min read
IN PART ONE, the 18th President of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, arrived at Penang and was hosted to a dinner at Government House on Flagstaff...
The TVET Landscape and Its Development in Malaysia
4 min read
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL Education and Training (TVET) is the main driving force for the socio-economic development of the country, helping ease youth unemploym...
Happy Accidents that Bred Academic Impact and Excellence: Ooi Kee Beng in conversation with Danny Quah (Part One)
9 min read
One of the most influential academics and economists in the world today is Penang boy, Danny Quah. A citation impact study done in 2020 by Stanford University p...
The Dubious Development of International Trade: The Case of Tea
4 min read
TEA AND TITTLE-TATTLE is a match akin to popcorn and movies. To be sure, the former accompaniment presents much more added value by heightening attention and im...
Malaysia’s TVET Ecosystem in Need of All-of-Society Engagement
5 min read
TVET IN MALAYSIA originated from the colonial and early post-colonial governments’ need for trained and skilled manpower to run state agencies and projects. Ove...
Thriving Businesses That Rely on Upgrading Knowledge and Skills
5 min read
Penang is a city of small businesses, and whatever living heritage George Town continues to exude relies heavily on craftsmen offering a surprising range of ser...
Vocational Studies Can Revive Traditional Trades and Heritage Gems
5 min read
MALAYSIAN FAMILIES are typically accustomed to thinking that vocational studies are designed for students who do not excel in a classroom setting – or at least...
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