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September 2026
The September Issue Is Out Now! Penang Monthly’s September issue explores the vibrant world of Penang’s pasar malam, highlighting their food, culture, community, traditions, and evolving role in island life.
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.
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...
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...
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“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...
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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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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