March 2026

Our latest issue explores ageing as renewal, inspired by Ooi Kee Beng’s “liberational ageing.” Stories include love rediscovered, digital confidence among seniors, caregiving, and ageing in Penang, alongside women’s underrepresentation in politics, Penang’s GBS innovation frontier, future-ready education, GTLF highlights, outdoor adventures—and more, reflecting how purpose, participation, and meaning can be cultivated at every stage of life.

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A publication of Penang Institute, Penang Monthly is the voice of Penang - an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian, featuring stories about the people, ideas, and issues shaping the state's well-being. Sign up for a free account to enjoy unlimited access to all our articles.

Making State-Federal Relations Fit for the Purpose of Nation Building

4 min read

Have you ever wondered why, at times, it takes so long to repair certain potholes, alleviate congestion at bottlenecked road junctions or realign bus routes closer to housing communities?

by Yeong Pey Jung

The State of AI in Malaysian Healthcare

5 min read

A recent review estimates that the AI healthcare market in Malaysia could grow more than 20 times, from roughly USD10mil in 2022 to approximately USD220mil by 2030, which indicates both the current under-penetration and also the significant upside available.

by Dr. Kev Lim

Eating with Senses Mingling

3 min read

When it comes to food and our ability to accept and enjoy it or to reject and discard it, humans actually rely on both Tongue and Nose to decide.

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

The Echo That Splits Two Worlds

10 min read

This short story is the winning entry in Penang Monthly's Short Story Prize held in conjunction with George Town Literary Festival 2025.

by Nur Syuhada binti Mohd Surahbil

Why I Still Cook When It Is So Easy Not To

11 min read

I often wonder why I subject myself to extensive labour when I could easily eat out. In Penang, food is everywhere—cheap, delicious, convenient, fast. Why spend hours chopping, stirring and cleaning when I could get a perfectly good meal for under RM10 outside?

by Sheryl Teoh

Dried Fish: A Luxury Born of Necessity

4 min read

Ikan bulu ayam, gelama tengkerong and ikan gelama tiga gigi are fish species usually dried because they are too bony to be worth cooking. Salt, which gives dried fish its distinctive flavour, is used in abundance for its antibacterial properties.

by Teioh Nuan Ning

Revisiting Challenges in Conserving George Town’s Heritage Buildings

5 min read

Implementing conservation standards and monitoring mechanisms to conserve George Town’s heritage buildings remain complex, even after 17 years since its UNESCO inscription in 2008.

by Nicole Chang

Tracing the Taste of Thailand in Penang’s Kitchens

7 min read

Penang’s proximity to Kedah and the long history of cross-border marriages and trade brought Thai culinary traditions southward, introducing the intense, spicy-sour palate that still defines much of northern Malaysian food today.

by Tan Yew Ming

A Penang Potpourri: How Indian Food Became Everyone’s Food

6 min read

Indian food in Penang reveals the history of those who brought it over and the openness of the people in its new home.

by Iylia De Silva

The Forest’s Table: Reviving Indigenous Knowledge for Malaysia’s Food Future

6 min read

Malaysia is home to one of the world’s richest rainforests, with an estimated 15,000 plant species. Out of these are more than 520 edible plant species, and 300 of these are indigenous to the country.

by Liani MK

Of Private Archives and Public Histories

7 min read

If private collections govern our knowledge of the past, what histories are amplified and which remain obscured when they are exhibited publicly? Bingley Sim and Ima Norbinsha’s “Now and Then 2”, presented by Galeri Puteh, addresses this poser through a lens of critical inquiry.

by Ivan Gabriel

The Southern Chinese Flavours that Built Penang’s Palate

6 min read

As a child, I spent a lot of time in this aunt’s house, and most of that time, in her kitchen. While my other aunts and cousins played mahjong in the background, I would sit at the kitchen table, annoying her with requests to help her cook.

by Sheryl Teoh

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