Cover Story - Penang Monthly

AI in Cybersecurity: Is It a Blessing or a Curse?

9 min read

The big question, “Is AI in cybersecurity a blessing or a curse?” does not have a simple answer. Like most technologies that fundamentally reshape human behaviour, AI brings transformative benefits, while also creating new areas of risk.

by Howie Chang

Why I Still Cook When It Is So Easy Not To

11 min read

I often wonder why I subject myself to extensive labour when I could easily eat out. In Penang, food is everywhere—cheap, delicious, convenient, fast. Why spend hours chopping, stirring and cleaning when I could get a perfectly good meal for under RM10 outside?

by Sheryl Teoh

Reading the Signs: Penang Streets Have A Lot to Say

8 min read

Multilingualism here is banal, part of the fabric that holds daily life together. As Higgins and Coen remind us in Streets, Bedrooms and Patios, “as homo sapiens, we are all the same in terms of genetic structure and cognitive potentiality…

by Tan Shu Min

Marking the End of Life: Rituals Across Malaysia

10 min read

Death may arrive suddenly, but it is never endured in isolation. What follows depends on your race, religion and family background.

by Sheryl Teoh & Teioh Nuan Ning

Nibong Tebal: A Heritage Haven on Penang’s Mainland

12 min read

To the Chinese community, Nibong Tebal is known as 高渊, or ko-ean in the local Teochew dialect, which is both a transliteration of the Kerian River that runs through the town and a reference to the said river’s deep currents.

by Teioh Nuan Ning

Bujang Valley Excavations Expose the Peninsula’s Exciting Past

11 min read

Nestled in the foot of Gunung Jerai and the riverine plains of the Merbok River, the Bujang Valley is widely regarded as the cradle of early civilisation in the Malay Peninsula.

by Dr. Nasha Rodziadi Khaw

Celebrating the Kebaya

9 min read

The kebaya holds deep cultural significance for women and communities across Southeast Asia, symbolising refinement, femininity, tradition, cultural heritage, women’s empowerment and identity.

by Dato' Lillian Tong