The Hills ‘r’ Us
3 min read
Natural resources are always good to have. If rightly used, they are the basis not only for an economy’s path of growth, but also for its international identity.
Literary Festivals – More Momentous Than You May Imagine
3 min read
Now when Penang is holding its George Town Literary Festival again, let me ponder over what I think is one of the most important things that have failed to develop properly in post-colonial Malaysia, namely our mastery of language.
Penang as entry point for visitors to Malaysia
3 min read
Tourism has been vital to Penang for decades, but a competent history of it has yet to be written to give due credit to the key actors involved, to describe t...
Speaking of Pulau Tikus...
3 min read
Pulau Tikus. The name always sounded exotic to the ears of a boy growing up in the general area of Ayer Itam (yes, not Air Itam), Reservoir Gardens and Rifle...
The UAE passes an anti-discriminatory law worth importing
3 min read
I was in Abu Dhabi recently for the first time. The UAE is a strange land; its citizens make up only 15% of the whole population. The rest are foreigners of o...
An Intercontinental Trip A Year Keeps the Psychiatrist Away
2 min read
Not long ago, messages had to be written on physical media to arrive only after being carried across oceans and mountains. Now, with the Internet and the smart phone, we receive endless news and personal texts as if time and space do not matter.
Noses Don’t Grow Back
3 min read
It is very sad that the state of Penang is being ignored in the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). None of the infrastructure projects the Penang government presented for financial support has been accepted by the federal government.
Penang Monthly goes free in June
3 min read
Spread the good news!Penang Monthly will be a free magazine from June 2015 onwards. Next month, you will be able to pick up a copy at selected locations thr...
Let’s be cosmopolitan and leave multi-ethnicity behind
2 min read
It is fascinating how seemingly innocuous words actually are not. Especially those that sound neutral, even ethically positive. That is why the sage never think...
Towards Substantive Democracy
2 min read
Democracy is a big word, and like all big words it is given to controversy and misuse. Since the magazine’s cover story this month and in April will be about local elections and local governments, it may be suitable to discuss what Democracy is.
To Excel is to Stay Curious
3 min read
How often have we not woken up at 3am in the morning with a novel solution to pressing questions that we could not solve while awake? Interlinking, integrating, interlacing… that seems to be how the brain works, or at least when we let it work.
Education is not only for building a common identity
2 min read
Education is a key issue in nation building; in no other country has it been more evident than in Malaysia where so much contestation since the 1950s has been...