January 2015 - Penang Monthly (Page 2)

The New Wave of Malaysian Fixi-on

6 min read

Petaling Jaya-based independent publisher Fixi conquered Malaysia's bestsellers charts with a new wave of pulp fiction that dares to defy Islamic conservatism and the country’s alleged low-reading rates.

by Marco Ferrarese

George Town – From City to Municipality to Culture Centre

7 min read

George Town became a city on January 1, 1957. The timing was not by accident. In fact it was an event to herald the approach of sovereignty for the 11 states of Malaya exactly eight months later that year.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Manufacturing in Penang: Onwards and Upwards

6 min read

In 2013, Penang's share of the manufacturing sector to the overall GDP of the state was almost equal to that of the service sector, at 47.8%. Penang shows that its manufacturers have a higher overall share towards its income than the Malaysian average.

by Tim Niklas Schoepp

Compiling George Town’s Cultural Heritage

6 min read

From food to idols, books to garlands, worship and spirituality are tightly interwoven into the city’s fabric; all this is compiled into a book published by GTWHI, Penang’s Living Legacy: Heritage Traders of George Town, and reproduced here in brief.

by Penang Monthly

All That Glitters in George Town

10 min read

Sin Taik Wang is a little shop on Pitt Street, where for decades the Hars have made traditional votive paper flowers, known as kim hua in Hokkien. The scene is timeless, but the shop – and George Town’s last remaining kim hua makers – may be gone by the end of the month.

by Soon-Tzu Speechley

Penang is Blessed - If You Want It

3 min read

No one can doubt that Penang is going through a very dynamic period today. It is evident in how the cityscape and the street life are changing, and in how vibrant the economy and the art scene have become.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

The Bookman Who Embraced Penang

7 min read

Penang’s street of harmony – Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling – has a new place of worship, where joss sticks and prayer mats are exchanged for the mesmerising smell of freshly opened books. Most importantly, all ethnic groups are welcome.

by Marco Ferrarese