Taking Life in Their Stride
4 min read
Yong Ah Lan.“When I was first diagnosed with kidney failure, I felt so alone at the doctor’s office,” says Yong Ah Lan, a 40-year-old ba...
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.
The Storytelling Continues…
4 min read
As a child, I looked forward to bedtime. Sleeping was of course always a pleasure, but that was not the main reason....
Teaching Children to Code
4 min read
Are we shifting our focus from teaching children how to write, to teaching them how to code?“Since technology now dominates our lives learning basic com...
The Hainanese Influence in Penang’s Cuisine
9 min read
The Hainanese were among the last Chinese language groups to arrive in Malaya, when the other language groups had monopolised most of the trades. They ended up working for the British in their households and kitchens, eventually playing a major role in the local food and beverage industry.
Avoid Accidents with Jellyfish
7 min read
Jellyfish in GeneralJellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years and possibly as long as 700 million years or more – making them the ol...
Bar-hopping in Penang Just Got Better
5 min read
“Prosperity” is created with gin, spiced rum, orange, lemon and Orgeat syrup.Magazine 63Dubbed the first “hidden” speakeasy in P...
Understanding Sustainability Does Not Come Naturally
5 min read
Half the world’s population live in urban settlements – 54.5% in 2016 to be exact, according to the UN. This figure is expected to rise to 60% by 20...
Eyes Set on Industry 4.0
4 min read
Major changes are coming. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the integration of physical and digital technologies, is underway. Within the manufacturing industry...
Staying Alive in the LGBT World
6 min read
Mika“I’m a female, but I dress like a male. I do not conform to the typical gender binarism, and that’s why I’ve struggled with findin...
Are We Happy with Our Buses or Are We Not?
17 min read
Public transportation in Penang dates back to the 1880s, when the first steam-powered tram, measuring 12.5km, ran from Weld Quay jetty to Air Itam Road, with...
Listen Up, Malaysians! You Are Now Individually the Agents of Change
4 min read
One of the greatest challenges that faces a society coming out of a period of authoritarian rule and bad governance is the need to break away from looking to political initiatives and to politicians as the way to fix all national – and even individual – dilemmas.
So What Are You Reading Today?
12 min read
In the age of digital technology, the habit of reading jostles hard with live streaming and aimless scrolling on social media. Surprisingly – or not – Penangites seem to prefer old-school print.
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