Lest We Forget - Penang Monthly

From Fortress to Frolic: The Tragic Fable of Fort Batu Maung

11 min read

With the fort’s history now tangled in commercial entertainment, its actual story has become increasingly unclear. Using declassified top-secret British and Australian military reports, this article reconstructs what really happened.

by Eugene Quah

Remembering the Pacific War in Sabah

7 min read

On 17 January 1942, the Japanese navy invaded and captured the city of Sandakan. With the loss of the capital, North Borneo was surrendered, and was occupied by the Japanese for 3 years and 8 months.

by Joan Liao

Colonial Penang’s Southern Frontier: Tin, Treaties and the Pangkor Connection

11 min read

THE NAME PANGKOR was mentioned as far back as 1511 by Sulaymān al-Mahrī in his treatise al-Minhāj al-Fākhir fī ʿIlm…

by Eugene Quah

The Bombing of Penang: A Ferry Service Worker’s Eyewitness Account of Japanese Air Raids in 1941

9 min read

*Note: Special thanks: This article was completed with the assistance of Muhammad Amirul Naim, Distribution Executive (Administration Unit) at Penang…

by Abdul Aziz Bin Zuber

Civilian Memories of WW II

8 min read

Author’s Note: This article has been edited for clarity and readability. It is based on interview sessions with Uncle…

by Miriam Devaprasana

Mariophile: The Early Days of the Estate and Country Retreat of the College General

11 min read

THE COLLEGE GENERAL, off Jalan Cengal, is a venerable Catholic seminary emphasising a prayerful and secluded life for its students—…

by Eugene Quah

Bencoolen: The Forgotten British Outpost

10 min read

IN THE HEART of Singapore’s bustling Central Business District, Bencoolen Street hums with activity. Locals and tourists alike traverse…

by Eugene Quah

Local History Matters Most Immediately

7 min read

IN THE GRAND theatre of social media—where cat videos reign supreme and discussions about anything often devolve into spirited…

by Eugene Quah

The Story of Early Juru

9 min read

IN LATE APRIL 1845, James Richardson Logan, a Penang lawyer and ethnologist, visited Bukit Tengah and Juru. He noted that land bounded by the Prai and Juru rive...

by Eugene Quah

Warships Sunk off Penang in World War I

7 min read

THROUGHOUT WORLD WAR I, Penang was indispensable to British war eforts as a hub supplying men, commodities and funds. Apart from being an important communicatio...

by Enzo Sim

From Hillview to Wellesley: The Evolution of a Pioneering Boys’ School

9 min read

JALAN SULTAN AZLAN SHAH, formerly known as Northam Road, hugs the contours of North Beach, extending towards Gurney Drive. With the panoramic views it offers of...

by Eugene Quah

A Short History of Pulau Rimau

9 min read

WALKING ALONG THE Queen’s Waterfront promenade at Bayan Lepas, you see a large, heavily forested island nearby that once hosted a leper colony and, later, a pri...

by Eugene Quah