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.

Green is the Agenda!

7 min read

The Penang Green Council (PGC) and Penang Institute mooted the Penang Green Agenda (PGA), a two-year policy-planning project aimed at formulating strategies and building resilient communities in Penang to meet and adapt to future environmental challenges by 2030.

by Chuah Sue Ann

Speedy Growth for Cruise Tourism

14 min read

Cruise ships docking at Swettenham Pier.The weak ringgit, attractively priced hotels and George Town’s inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site h...

by Regina Hoo

Eco-engineering Penang’s Coastline

6 min read

As the human population rises, coastal areas become increasingly developed: more than 40% of the world’s population and 60% of the world’s largest c...

by Dr. Chee Su Yin

Empowering the Hearing Impaired

6 min read

The World Health Organization reports that 360 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, and a staggering 32 million of these are children. In...

by Samuel Shee

Samuel Shee

Teh Aik Lum: Jit Sin’s Dedicated Chairman

5 min read

Datuk Seri Teh Aik LumCan you briefly tell us about yourself?I was born in 1935 in Guangdong Province, China. I came to Malaya when I was 11 years old....

by Noorhasyilah Rosli

Why the Opposition has a Shot at Toppling the Barisan Nasional with Mahathir at the Helm

5 min read

Malaysia’s Parliament will be dissolved sometime during the first half of 2018. That is a legal certainty.The general election that is to follow within...

by Dato' Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Bukit Cendana: A Hike Through History

5 min read

Bukit Cendana is a popular hiking area – its peak rises just above 520m from sea level, and there are at least a dozen different ways of getting up there....

by Rexy Prakash Chacko

The Singapore Nyonya Who Made Penang Her Home

6 min read

Annie Lim Liap Kiat.Annie was dressed like a boy during the Japanese Occupation.If you have ever visited the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, you might hav...

by Peter Soh

Sitiawan: The Promised Land of the Foochows

10 min read

Sitiawan gets its name from the tragic tale of two elephants, one of which perished after becoming stuck in mud, while the other drowned as it faithfully clung...

by Koay Su-Lyn

Painting in the Footsteps of Monks

5 min read

Min Wae Aung keeps up a disciplined daily regime of painting with breaks for food, walks and a de rigeur movie.Flip-flap, flip-flap! You can almost hear t...

by Ooi Kok Chuen

Healing Penang Hill

6 min read

The railway track was badly affected by the landslide and the funicular train service was suspended.The freak storm on the night of November 4 battered Pe...

by Emilia Ismail

The Storm that Shook Penang

23 min read

Every time it rains now, Penangites get skittish – and for good reason. It has been five months since the freak storm hit the state. The storm of November...

by Julia Tan

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