January 2026

Our January issue explores how artificial intelligence is redefining work, security and everyday life, from the promises of automation and digital finance to the ethical questions it raises about creativity, ownership and the future of human thinking.

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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.

George Town Festival 2011 schedule

4 min read

This is a home-calling movement for the youth of Penang to explore and redefine what "home" means to them. Art enthusiasts from the late 1980s and early 1990s were invited to participate in this movement by producing artwork from March until June.

by Yap Soo Huey

Yap Soo Huey

The State Should Repaint All Low Cost Flats

4 min read

Strongly subsidising the repainting of low-cost and low-medium-cost flats in Penang will definitely improve living conditions there, and make the state sparkle more.

by Datuk Dr. Goh Ban Lee

Predicting Economic Turning Points

4 min read

I DO NOT KNOW about you, but I would like the economy to be just good; stable, and rising steadily. But in reality, we know that this is not the case. We know all about the business cycle when economic expansion reaches a peak and then slumps into a recession.

by Pauline Khoo

Pauline Khoo

Sarawak Election Diary

9 min read

I jumped on the bandwagon of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) campaign in Sibu, as I believe in change for the good, and for the country; as much as I would like to be perceived as neutral, I believe in getting involved.

by Yap Soo Huey

Yap Soo Huey

No Easy Answer to Environmental Sustainability

5 min read

FREAK WEATHER PATTERNS, environmental disasters and climate-modelling predictions – these are constant reminders of the global urgency to address climate change.

by Yap Soo Huey

Yap Soo Huey

Challenges for Malaysia’s Economy

11 min read

THE TOP MANAGEMENT in leading industries in Penang has been getting more and more worried over the last few years. Some of the most important prerequisites for continued development, they feel, are fading fast.

by Poh Heem Heem

Poh Heem Heem

On the Rise, But For How Long?

10 min read

FIRST TIME ARRIVALS to Penang as well as many Penangites are stunned not only by the construction “frenzy” of high rise residential buildings but...

by Herbert Poenisch

Herbert Poenisch

Toya: Stretching Batik to Its Limits

9 min read

A CAUCASIAN who claimed to be an expert asked Toya where the batik painting exhibition was, blithely unaware that he was looking at batik paintings! That was at...

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Taking Training Into New Territory

7 min read

THE ANNUAL ASTD International Conference is marketed and positioned as the place where solutions are found and where learning and networking opportunities abound. It reaches out to the US market and targets the international market as well.

by Poh Heem Heem

Poh Heem Heem

Kedah Hoped For The Return of Province Wellesley in 1957

1 min read

How the independent Federation of Malaysia would incorporate its various parts was not a given thing, and the issues up for negotiation in 1956–1957 wer...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Dell Celebrates The Arts

4 min read

FOR DELL MALAYSIA managing director Datuk Simon Wong, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important facet of Dell’s corporate culture. Given Del...

by Penang Monthly

Local Democracy Alive and Kicking in Pakatan States

5 min read

IN A PEM column last year, I wrote extensively about local government elections and the laws and policies governing them in Malaysia. At that point, both the st...

by Tricia Yeoh

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