Remembering the Eight Pioneers
5 min read
ACTING AS a key entrepot for the Far East, Penang in the 19th and early 20th century flourished. The free port system that the British tended to impose in its p...
The Smartphone and the Elderly
5 min read
THE SMARTPHONE BECAME a liberator of sorts for many of us when in-person connection was rendered impossible by lockdown restrictions and social distancing measu...
Plantdemic: The Rise of Pretentious Rarity
6 min read
The plantdemic – an emerging social phenomenon of mass buying exorbitant houseplants for, among other reasons, plain boredom, and parading them on social media in hope of becoming the next “plant-fluencer”.
Kampung Selamat: A Resilient Village Inspiring in its Embrace of Economic Change
6 min read
KAMPUNG SELAMAT IS one of the few Chinese villages in Seberang Perai Utara. Over the decades, its transformation of economic activities bears witness to the dyn...
Relating Tales of Dislocated Culture
8 min read
AUTHOR SOUVANKHAM THAMMAVONGSA’S initially hesitant demeanour over Zoom belies the writing style of her debut short story collection, How to Pronounce Knife. Sh...
Dikir Barat: An Evolving Identity Marker
5 min read
A dikir barat ensemble consists of the tok jogho (lead singer), tukang karut (spontaneous verse composer), awak-awak (chorus and clappers) and musicians. It starts with the bertabuh musical prelude, followed by singing led by the tok jogho.
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Using Clubhouse for a Good Cause
3 min read
REMEMBER THE INVITE-ONLY social audio app, Clubhouse? It was the virtual place to be at the height of Covid in 2020, hosting a dizzying array of conversations,...
Chinese Whispers: The Literature and Politics of Nanyang Writers
8 min read
“Man is a restless creature, nomadic at heart.” Tash Aw, Map of the Invisible World.NANYANG, the “South Sea” in the Chinese imagination, is rich in stories – th...
Strengthening Water Security in Penang via Self-reliance and Stakeholder Engagement
6 min read
MALAYSIA IS RICH in water resources, having 990 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM) of rainfall which translates into a surface runoff (mostly rivers) of 566 BCM. Its pe...
The Elaborate Meaning of the Indian Marriage Necklace
7 min read
JEWELLERY CAN mean many things, all the more so if placed in their traditional contexts.In the Indian tradition, the Rig Veda, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and...
Prostitutes in Penang: A Life Often Filled with Fear and Violence
6 min read
The “princess”, was a human-trafficked victim sold to brothel houses at a tender age. These girls suffered deplorable conditions; in exchange for basic food and accommodation, they were forced into prostitution and were treated as personal belongings and slaves by the brothel-keepers.
Uniting Communities Through Sports and Traditions
2 min read
The organisation of groups of people with similar goals have long been a key aspect in human interaction and social functions – it is also what sports clubs are founded upon.
