A publication of Penang Institute, Penang Monthly is the voice of Penang and an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian. Publishing articles concerning the well-being and good folks of Penang, we also run interesting national – and occasionally regional – analysis on politics, economy, culture and society.
About Penang Institute
PENANG INSTITUTE is one of Malaysia's major think tanks. Funded by the Penang state government, it was established in 1997 (as SERI, the Socio-economic and Environmental Research Institute), and underwent a name change in 2011 as part of a rebranding exercise to reflect the heightened ambitions of the state to secure Penang's reputation as an intellectual hub and as the culture capital of the country, and to enhance Penang's reputation in ASEAN and beyond.
With the tagline "Making Ideas Work", Penang Institute encourages bold and innovative thinking not only in academic disciplines, but also through the support it gives to literature and culture by way of events such as book launches, public literature seminars; through participation in the annual George Town Literary Festival; through its public policy briefs, ISSUES, Monographs; through interviews with notable personalities on current state of affairs and trends, Penang Institute Chats; and through its renown magazine Penang Monthly and the Penang Book Prize. In times of crisis, Penang Institute will contribute to the management of such crisis by publishing informed papers on the local situation and on how this relates to events and initiatives undertaken in other parts of the world.
Our Objective
- Supply Penangites with information about significant issues in order to promote public participation
- Encourage discussion about various aspects of Penang’s fate and fortune
- Profile Penang personalities who have contributed, sometimes in very unassuming but critical ways, to the reputation and well-being of the state
- Put the spotlight on ordinary Penangites who otherwise go unnoticed, but who nevertheless define the culture of the state in essential ways
- Highlight the importance of Penang as a generator of culture, education, industry and cosmopolitan values
- Emphasise present trends in the arts, industry, politics and economics which affect the immediate future of the state and country; and
- Offer reliable socioeconomic data for the benefit of decision makers in government and the private sector.