October 2026

Penang Monthly’s October 2026 issue explores the many levels of liveability—what makes Penang not only functional, but truly feel like home. Drawing on the Penang Satisfaction Survey 2026, it examines residents’ views on governance, affordability, healthcare, transport, environmental pressures and community life. The issue also considers Penang’s evolving role as a medical hub, the promise and challenges of a cashless society, and ways to build more inclusive public spaces. Beyond policy, it celebrates the state’s cultural memory through Teochew heritage, a remarkable 1768 account of Penang, local changemakers, sustainability and the arts.

See Inside Read as Flipbook

Hello and welcome!

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.

A Reputation For Style Sustained By Heritage Brands

5 min read

Penang’s fashion heritage lives through brands that balance tradition with reinvention. From batik and tailoring to menswear and jewellery, these enduring names continue shaping how identity and style are expressed across generations.

by Shenna Tham

Designed By Penang Cultivating Local Champions For The Global Semiconductor Value Chain

5 min read

…

by Kenneth Ong

Mai Cerita: A Student Project With High Intercultural Ambitions

4 min read

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN you bring together two distinct Malaysian puppetry traditions? In December 2025, I participated in “Mai Cerita, Hidupkan…

by Nicole Chang

Phoenix Press Rising: Publishing as a Creative Industry

4 min read

From printing bus tickets in post-war Malaya to operating advanced presses today, The Phoenix Press embodies Penang’s culture of adaptation and endurance. Its story is one of quiet innovation, where tradition and technology continue to coexist across generations.

by Lim Wan Phing

Built to Last: Lessons to Learn from Penang’s Many Heritage Brands

5 min read

Penang’s heritage brands endure not through nostalgia alone, but through clarity, consistency and community. From hawker stalls to historic hotels, their stories reveal that lasting brands are built as much on experience and identity as on the products themselves.

by Bernard Cheah

Penang as a Heritage Linguistic System

5 min read

George Town’s heritage is carried not only in buildings and festivals, but also in the languages woven through its streets and daily exchanges. As urban change reshapes the city, this piece asks what it truly means to preserve a living heritage rooted in multilingual life.

by Miriam Devaprasana

The Mighty Chang Variations of The Chinese Wrapped Glutinous Rice Dumpling

7 min read

From Chinese zongzi to Nyonya chang and Malay ketupat palas, leaf-wrapped rice dumplings reflect centuries of migration, adaptation and culinary creativity. This exploration traces their global roots, regional variations and the innovations keeping these festive traditions alive today.

by Dr. Ong Jin Teong

Tiger Hill: Exploring One of Penang’s Tallest Peaks

6 min read

The view of Air Itam and George Town as seen from the first part of the hike.

by Rexy Prakash Chacko

Urut Urut: A Care Partnering Journey

6 min read

Urut-urut explores dementia care through intimate recordings of everyday life by care partners in Penang. Through touch, routine and reflection, the project reveals care not as a fixed role, but as an ongoing relationship shaped by patience, memory and emotional endurance.

by Business

Business

Diversity In Education: The Prominence of Penang's Heritage Private Schools

6 min read

PENANG’S EDUCATION ECOSYSTEM is a highly interesting, diverse and colourful one. It is well known, no doubt, that Penang…

by Carolyn Khor

Penang Hill Festival 2026 Highlighting Natural And Cultural Heritage

4 min read

ON 17–19 JULY, Penang Hill once again welcomes the world to the Penang Hill Festival (PHF). Organised by Penang…

by Business

Business

The Human Legacy Behind Penang's Heritage Brands

9 min read

Behind Penang’s heritage brands lies more than longevity alone, but a continual act of inheritance, adaptation and trust. From family-run eateries to old trading houses, their survival reflects how identity is preserved not through resisting change, but through refining it without losing coherence.

by Tony Yeoh

Total posts

3595

Explore column

Ads

Support us

As Penang Monthly continues to evolve, we aim to deliver better quality reads. At present, our issues are free to be read. But we need your financial support as we endeavour to be the voice of Penang and an inspiring read for the curious Malaysian. Every RM100 contribution from individuals (or RM1,000 from corporations) will be entitled to tax exemption receipt.

Explore column

Feature

Editorial

Cover Story

Statistics

Photo Essay

Covid-19 Exclusives

Penang Profile

Ask Azmi