An indie protest
4 min read
On September 29 and 30, hundreds of thousands of Malaysians showed up in defiance of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and the Home Minister’s comical ban on...
December 2025
Our December issue examines the flavours, practices and foodways that define Malaysian life, from home kitchens and inherited techniques to the diverse cultural influences that shape Penang’s palate.
Small Acts of Courage to Make the World a Better Place
5 min read
If he was not a household name before September 2, 2014, he should have become that after he, on that day, became the first academician in Malaysian history to be charged under the Sedition Act of 1948.
When art espouses politics…
5 min read
University students used to be active in theatre clubs on their campuses. But all that ended during the 1970s. Students were no longer allowed to participate in politics; this limited their creative development but, happily, it led to theatres being started outside the universities.
The High Life: Growing Up on the Peak
7 min read
For many Penangites, the Hill is a place for Sunday morning hikes, a slice of nature close to the city. But some people remember growing up on its slopes and still call the highlands home today.
Air Itam: So Busy. So Beguiling.
9 min read
Like clockwork, it begins.As the first rays of sunlight hit the roof of Air Itam Market, a steady rumble of activity builds up in the town centre. Old, foldable...
Hiking to Paradise
5 min read
Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang has three main hiking trails: the one to Monkey Beach and Muka Head lighthouse; the one to Pantai Kerachut (Turtle Beach) a...
Time to Limit the Logic of the Market
4 min read
In December 2015 Playboy magazine released its January/February 2016 issue. It featured 48-year-old every-pubescent-boy’s-fantasylifeguard Pamela Anders...
Fintech: A New Frontier in Finance
10 min read
In the world of finance, there is a consensus that technology-driven change is inevitable, and that it brings with it massive potential for disruption.[1] Cen...
Back To Beca
6 min read
Trishaws were once the main mode of transportation in George Town, found in quiet streets and on the busiest roads. Known locally as beca (or beychia in Hokkien...
A Mortar Board Does Not Guarantee Employability
9 min read
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 20152025 (Higher Education), or MEB (HE), launched on April 7, 2015 sets out a new vision for the development of higher educ...
A Taste for Waste
6 min read
It’s no secret that the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) has stepped up its greening efforts. Helming the Ecocommunity Unit at MPSP is Chew Eng S...
Saving Our Schools
16 min read
At the beginning of the 1964 school year, teachers in a California primary school were told that some of their students had shown extraordinary results on an...
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