October 2025

This October, Penang Monthly explores death rituals across Malaysia. From Muslim burials to Taoist and Hindu traditions, we reflect on how communities honour the departed with dignity.

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Optimism Permeates Penang’s Economic Ecosystems

10 min read

PENANG’S ECONOMY IS influenced by diverse elements, such as the global economic situation and its industrial foundation. The fifth largest economy among Malaysi...

by Doris Liew

On the Proposed Progressive Wage Model in Malaysia

5 min read

FOR YEARS, Malaysia has implemented a minimum wage policy. While this policy has undoubtedly provided some relief, rising costs of living have often outpaced wa...

by Azmil Akil

Azmil Akil

Penang Institute Pushes for Economic Ecosystems Development

4 min read

SINCE THE THEME for January 2024 is Penang’s Economic Development, it seems appropriate that I present in somewhat truncated form the document produced in March...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Price Driven

…

by Azmi Hussin

Coaching Makes Effective Leaders

3 min read

IN THE CORPORATE world, the traditional authoritarian leadership model has given way to more collaborative and people-centric approaches, and requires that lead...

by Ooi Tze Xiong

Menu Rahmah Has Been Helpful, But What’s Next?

3 min read

Menu Rahmah offers RM5 meals to ease living costs for B40 Malaysians. While it helps families access nutritious food, rising costs threaten its sustainability. A proposed app could track impact and support vendors, ensuring no one is left behind.

by Humaira Shafril

The Post-Covid Crisis: Rising Food Prices

10 min read

Cooking used to be a fun passion project, but with rising food costs, it’s now a careful act of budgeting. This piece explores how inflation is reshaping how Malaysians eat, shop and survive.

by Sheryl Teoh

Fight for Your Man Caves and Your Comfort Foods

3 min read

You have your favourite places—rooms where you feel safe, where you can let go. These are your retreats, your reset zones. Equally vital are the comfort foods that soothe your soul. In a crowded, overstimulated world, such sanctuaries—physical and emotional—are more essential than ever.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

New Migrants Bring New Meals to Malaysia

9 min read

Many food recipes that present-day migrants bring with them are now our favourites. Below is a selection of meals and desserts often prepared by migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia, chosen because they each tell a story about another part of the world.

by Elroi Yee & Puah Sze Ning

How Food Price Increases Are Affecting Malaysians

1 min read

Footnotes:[1] According to UN Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO), undernourishment is defined as not consuming enough calories to maintain a normal, activ...

by Doris Liew

When Penang Was an Axis Submarine Base

11 min read

The I-29’s mission to rendezvous with the U-180 was one of a series of long and dangerous missions to Nazi-controlled Europe, dubbed the Yanagi missions, for the exchange of technology, skills and military material.

by Eugene Quah

Breaking Down Budget 2024: Malaysia’s Path to Fiscal Consolidation, Economic Growth and Social Wellbeing

9 min read

Budget 2024, themed "Economic Reform, Empowering People", charts Malaysia’s largest-ever fiscal plan at RM393.8bil. It emphasises fiscal consolidation, targeted subsidies, revenue diversification, and growth through human capital, digitalisation and SME support.

by Doris Liew

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