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.

Book Review: The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020, Exploring the Faculty of Malaysia’s Fictioneers

4 min read

In The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020, each of the 19 stories seems to answer the question of what makes a short story successful in its own way, constantly challenging and reshaping the reader’s expectations.

by Yee Heng Yeh

FUN on Mount Pleasure: The Life and Times of Uncle Templeton

8 min read

ON THE MORNING of 9 September 1940, a Friday, Police Constable (PC) Ahmad bin Haji Abdul Rahman was on duty in front of the Penang Swimming Club. It was the sec...

by Eugene Quah

Critical Shifts Needed in Malaysia’s Economic Thinking

4 min read

LABOUR IS FINITE, especially in the context of Malaysia which has not had a demographic dividend since two decades ago. Malaysian employers and policy makers ne...

by Liew Chin Tong

“Facing” Abstract Creatures Makes Them Relatable in Penang

4 min read

WHEN SCULPTURES COME to mind, one conjures up images of stately marble figures or perhaps the rough-hewn details of a column. Rarely do they take the form of QR...

by Yong-Yu Huang

Bleisure Travel: A Highly Promising Tourism Sector for Penang

4 min read

BUSINESS AND LEISURE travel, also known as bleisure, is where a person travels for work but also takes time to enjoy the destination for leisure activities. Thi...

by Vikneswaran Nair

Expenditure On the Arts: An Overview

1 min read

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by Philip Khor

The Future Depends on the Creative Economy

11 min read

WHEN MICHELLE YEOH made history by being the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for her role in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and triggered a nationwide wa...

by Sheryl Teoh

Creative Commute

2 min read

Compiled by Iylia De SilvaPublic transportation in Penang is often overlooked by residents who rely on personal cars - except the elderly, foreigners and perhap...

by Iylia De Silva

Forward College and PSDC in Partnership to Address Penang’s Digital Skill Shortage

3 min read

Forward College is now set to run a two-day event annually and it is called Forward Festival. Hosted by PSDC, it will bring together leading tech experts, innovators and thinkers to present, discuss and learn how technology is shaping business and society.

by Goh Shuan Thing

Growing a Nurturing Ecosystem for Penang’s Creative Economy

4 min read

THE EXPONENTIAL RISE of creative industries worldwide in recent years has seen them drive substantial economic growth and provided extensive employment opportun...

by Bernard Loke

A Tale of Two Creative Cities: Reflections for Penang

5 min read

THOUGH THE WORD “creative city” might be in vogue, the term was already coined back in the late 1980s as a viable urban development strategy, particularly for p...

by Dr. Premalatha Karupiah & Dr. Khoo Suet Leng

Back to School: Making Learning a Lifelong Endeavour

4 min read

MY MOTHER WAS telling me all about the Saturday baking class that she has started attending – the new recipe that she has added into her repertoire, the occasio...

by Alexander Fernandez

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