Penang Monthly

Penang Monthly, by Penang Institute, is the voice of Penang, offering insights on its people, politics, economy, culture, and society, with a focus on local and national issues for curious Malaysians.

819 posts

PSDC 3.0 - bridging the gap between Policy-making and industrial needs

4 min read

IN MARCH 2010, members of the PSDC Management Council were in Phuket for its highly important bi-annual Offsite Meeting. Such gatherings are now a tradition and...

Information in restricted public space

7 min read

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL pillars of any modern democracy is a free mass media. It is through transparent and responsible reporting by independent journalists that...

The 1867 Penang riots

6 min read

Volunteers manning a barricade.FORTY-YEAR-OLD Lieutenant-Governor A.E.H. Anson, a veteran of the Crimean War, had just arrived in Penang to take up the ap...

Curitiba - an ideal city of buses

4 min read

Dylan PassmoreLIKE MOST CITIES, George Town has traffic problems. This is illogical as the city has less people today than say, 40 years ago. The populati...

Sign of the times

5 min read

DATO' KERAMAT in Penang is a rundown, crowded neighbourhood just outside George Town's CBD and heritage zone; putting it bluntly, not exactly the location of...

The serious brain drain problem

18 min read

MALAYSIA SUFFERS a voluntary emigration of people of different races and religions who possess talent, skills and knowledge. Their decision to settle in other c...

Penang's Place in the 10mp

9 min read

Active local governance needed more than everThe 10th Malaysia Plan is now announced. Analysts have generally found it wanting in detailed information. More i...

Just a minute

3 min read

Hungry Ghost FestivalThe Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated on the seventh month of the lunar calendar. During this time, the gates of hell are opened...

Buses bring economic benefits

10 min read

IntroductionIt is not customary for Malaysians to see cost and benefit reports for public investments, even though fiscal spending on development projects h...

EMC lab to encourage product designing

6 min read

From september 2010 onwards, Penang can boast an EMC laboratory of its own. This cutting edge technology determines whether or not a new electronic product desi...

Civil servants at an impasse

5 min read

Since taking over several state governments, one of the areas the Pakatan Rakyat has had to contend most with is the civil service. A majority of the bureaucrat...

Secrets only ghosts can know

5 min read

Director Glen Goei.Drama, intrigue, satire and revelations of family secrets await those who are lucky enough to get a chance to watch director Glen Goei&...