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.

817 posts

Recognising Penang’s Inherent Cosmopolitanism

3 min read

Penang is a given regional hub. It is located in such a way that it has acted as the cultural and economic centre for not only northern Malaysia but also southe...

A Short History of The Khoo Kongsi

4 min read

The name Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi (LSTKK) means Dragon Mountain Hall Khoo Clan Association. As with most of the early clan associations, the kongsi building i...

Comparing The State Budgets of Penang and Selangor

7 min read

 Amidst the noise and clamour of Malaysia’s politics, it is easy to forget that daily responsibilities continue for governments and bureaucrats...

Transforming Bus Stops To Transform City Living

6 min read

 Traditional urban settlements such as George Town are compact and tightly organised. Buildings cluster together in all forms. Hard spaces alternate...

Let’s Do What’s Needed To Make Penang Clean And Green

5 min read

A playground in Youth Park.The state government has launched a Cleaner Greener Penang Initiative. It is part of the vision of turning Penang into an &ldqu...

Saving Tanjung Tokong

9 min read

  The malay community of Kampung Tanjong Tokong needs to showcase its long history in the area, its peaceful co-existence with the Chinese...

An Old Chung Ling Boy Who Thought Big

5 min read

 Some of us grow up in small towns and dream of bigger and better things in cities far far far away, gleaming of glass and light. In the process, our...

The State of The Economy

10 min read

 Let’s get it right. The Budget is a fiscal plan informing the people how the government intends to raise and spend money in fulfilment of grow...

SERI seeks to offer policy alternatives

6 min read

There are think tanks, and there are think tanks. Penang’s own think tank, the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute (SERI), is seeking to...

Tighter cooperation between Pakatan Rakyat-run states

6 min read

From left to right: Former Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz, Selangor Mente...

Raising Komtar

5 min read

Laying the groundwork for Komtar"Architects Team 3 was already invited by the City Council of George Town to advise on a hawker centre in the Prangin Road area...

Penang's news

3 min read

Penang as economic hub of the regionPrime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced that the federal government intends to turn Penang into a regional...