Healing Penang Hill
6 min read
The railway track was badly affected by the landslide and the funicular train service was suspended.The freak storm on the night of November 4 battered Pe...
February 2026
Our latest issue explores how third places—from bookstores and gardens to KOMTAR—shape community life in Penang, while reflecting on sustainability, inclusion, and the island’s rich history.
The Storm that Shook Penang
23 min read
Every time it rains now, Penangites get skittish – and for good reason. It has been five months since the freak storm hit the state. The storm of November...
How are Art Fairs Faring?
7 min read
Latiff Mohidin's Provoke (oil on board, 1964).Pagoda II (oil on canvas, 1964).Malam Merah (Red Night) (oil on canvas, 1968)....
Mayor of the World
8 min read
Dato' Maimunah Mohd Sharif with the children of Mathare.On December 22, 2017, the mayor of Penang, Dato’ Maimunah Mohd Sharif, was appointed Executi...
Outraged Enough to Go Vote or Cynical Enough to Stay Home?
12 min read
So many bizarre and inconceivable things have happened in recent years to damage Malaysia’s international reputation and self-image that, for a mortified...
Lending the Lesser-abled a Hand
10 min read
The Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children’s Association of Penang (CPCAP), which turns 56 this year, houses a fully functioning school that prepares children...
Deriving Life from Venom
4 min read
It is called the “hundred pacer” because victims of its bite meet their death by the time they have taken their hundredth step. While the veracity o...
Sun, Sand, Sea and ... Surgery?
7 min read
As many as 14 to 16 million people across the globe travel for medical reasons, be it for higher quality healthcare or affordability outside their countries o...
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...
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.
Explore column