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.

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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.

On-the-job training critical to present-day education

3 min read

In this day and age, education is a requirement for success. Gone are the days when informal apprenticeship programmes were the route of choice for school-lea...

by Poh Heem Heem

Poh Heem Heem

Giving it everything

5 min read

According to 20something Chee Beng Kean, there's a void in the market in terms of computer knowledge. The usual practice for it services companies is just reselling computer products, and computer servicing.

by Jeffrey Hardy Quah

Cat on the prowl

5 min read

Transparency and accountability were key themes in the electoral campaign of opposition parties two years ago. At that time, Barisan Nasional governments at s...

by Tricia Yeoh

Welcoming The Old and Disabled to Penang

7 min read

For the distant traveler, Penang is unique to the region. It is not like Phuket or Pulau Perhentian where sun, surf and sea are the attractions, or like Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, where urban life pulsates late into the night. Penang is somewhere in-between.

by Khor Hung Teik

Khor Hung Teik

Must progress be ugly?

4 min read

It seems to me that in the last couple of decades, Penang, especially George Town, has been allowed to develop haphazardly. If I have to use one word to describ...

by Kee Thuan Chye

Living the poem

7 min read

Malaysia’s best-known poet has been raising the hackles of the establishment for over four decades with his outspoken work. Politicians find Cecil Rajendra subversive, academics believe he is a “propagandist troublemaker”, and the legal fraternity scathingly refers to him as a “part-time” lawyer.

by Rosalind Chua

Rosalind Chua

Suffolk House-keeping

13 min read

Next to the Methodist Boys School stands what is destined to be one of Penang's most renowned restored heritage buildings, Suffolk House.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Caught in the Net: The Malaysian Seafood Industry Waits In Vain

7 min read

The Malaysian seafood industry is widely recognised as world-class, with exports valued at RM2.5bil in 2007. However, the situation changed suddenly when Malaysian authorities decided on a self-imposed ban on exports to the EU.

by Rosalind Chua

Rosalind Chua

Thinking of Investing in Properties?

5 min read

But is investing in property all that rewarding relative to risks and hidden costs? One has to ask if there is really a boom and bust phenomenon in the properties market.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

How industrial is Penang?

5 min read

Since the 1970s, Penang has seen itself as an industrial centre for the country. What are the jobs they create, and how many? And do our industries differ in significant ways from those found in other parts of the country?

by Ong Wooi Leng & Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Penang’s Success is Malaysia’s Success

12 min read

In an interview with Penang Economic Monthly, Invest Penang’s executive committee chairman, Datuk Lee Kah Choon, elaborates on the organisation’s growing role and how it now offers existing and potential investors value-added services.

by Rosalind Chua

Rosalind Chua

Capital Movements and Penang’s Manufacturing Sector

11 min read

Business news in the past few months has highlighted concerns about capital flight, but the direction of capital movement being experienced has been taken into account, as a contingency, as part of a monetary policy designed and adopted by Bank Negara Malaysia.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

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