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.

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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.

The City Stadium – Where Sports are Worshipped

5 min read

We do it at home, we do it at the mamak stall, we do it in front of the Astro store in shopping malls. Football matches are great fun to watch, but what’s...

by Razan Rose

Saluting Our Warriors

7 min read

Peace never comes easy. In Malaysia’s case, the population had to survive the harsh Japanese occupation, the Malayan Emergency and Konfrontasi.Freedom a...

by Pan Yi Chieh & Koay Su-Lyn

The Art of Developing Balik Pulau

5 min read

Mural painted by local artist Lee Kok Liang.The once sleepy farming village of Balik Pulau is abuzz. Its greenery, simple life, and harvests are now offer...

by Nicole Chang

Alma Mater to Master Artists

7 min read

Choong Kam Kow. Vitalizing the Qi-4 (Fit For Life 23 - Taiji Series 20). 2013. Acrylic. 122cm x 122cm.“Here’s looking at you, kid.”Thi...

by Ooi Kok Chuen

A Snack Well Worth Waiting For

5 min read

It tastes best when cooked with charcoal.Made from a simple base of flour and eggs, ban chien kuih is a popular Hokkien delicacy. It comes with a flavours...

by Ooi Kok Hin & Koay Su-Lyn

Penang – A Rice Bowl State under Threat?

6 min read

Seberang Perai has undergone much urbanisation over the last decade. This has led to concerns over land use: warehouses, industrial plants and housing have risen up in the municipality’s landscape, replacing its sprawling paddy fields.

by Stephanie Kee

Green is the Agenda!

7 min read

The Penang Green Council (PGC) and Penang Institute mooted the Penang Green Agenda (PGA), a two-year policy-planning project aimed at formulating strategies and building resilient communities in Penang to meet and adapt to future environmental challenges by 2030.

by Chuah Sue Ann

Speedy Growth for Cruise Tourism

14 min read

Cruise ships docking at Swettenham Pier.The weak ringgit, attractively priced hotels and George Town’s inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site h...

by Regina Hoo

Eco-engineering Penang’s Coastline

6 min read

As the human population rises, coastal areas become increasingly developed: more than 40% of the world’s population and 60% of the world’s largest c...

by Dr. Chee Su Yin

Empowering the Hearing Impaired

6 min read

The World Health Organization reports that 360 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, and a staggering 32 million of these are children. In...

by Samuel Shee

Samuel Shee

Teh Aik Lum: Jit Sin’s Dedicated Chairman

5 min read

Datuk Seri Teh Aik LumCan you briefly tell us about yourself?I was born in 1935 in Guangdong Province, China. I came to Malaya when I was 11 years old....

by Noorhasyilah Rosli

Why the Opposition has a Shot at Toppling the Barisan Nasional with Mahathir at the Helm

5 min read

Malaysia’s Parliament will be dissolved sometime during the first half of 2018. That is a legal certainty.The general election that is to follow within...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

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