September 2025

This September, we explore Seberang Perai Selatan. Our stories cover Nibong Tebal’s Teochew heritage and sugar legacy, Batu Kawan’s evolution into a township, Penang’s waste challenges at Pulau Burung, the brackish rivers of the south, and the communities that shape the district today.

17 posts

The Pulau Burung Landfill: Managing Penang’s Dirty Backyard

7 min read

Each day, the inhabitants of Penang, both in Seberang Perai and Penang Island, generate over 2,200 tonnes of waste, of which 80% is channelled via barges to the Pulau Burung sanitary landfill.

by Ian McIntyre

Azmi Hussin: A Life in Lines, A Legacy in Love

4 min read

AZMI HUSSIN, a beloved Penang-born cartoonist and visual storyteller, passed away on 5 March 2025 at the age of 40 from a heart attack. He left behind a legacy far greater than the pages he had filled.

by Ivan Gabriel

Enjoying the Brackish Rivers of Seberang Perai Selatan

7 min read

In the south of Penang’s mainland, the estuaries of Sungai Kerian, Sungai Chenaam and Sungai Jawi quietly sustain much of the region’s coastal life.

by Husna Shafirah

An Aging Artist: Teoh Shaw Gie’s Midlife

6 min read

In his solo exhibition, Archaeology of Midlife, which was hosted at O Sculpture Studio from 21 June to 27 July 2025, Teoh Shaw Gie explored the pains and insecurities of his midlife with a beer-bellied sense of self-deprecating humour.

by Teioh Nuan Ning

Indian Barbershops in Malaysia: A Fading Fashion

3 min read

INDIAN BARBERSHOPS HAVE become a unique institution in Malaysia, rooted in local history and the country’s cultural fabric. Beyond…

by Wong Teik Aun