As one of Malaysia’s major think tanks, Penang Institute participates in public discourse, identifies both negative and positive socioeconomic trends in state, national and regional development, and attempts persistently to influence policy making in the state and the country. This Newsletter provides summary information on events at the Institute and their significance, and on the Institute’s participation in public life over the previous month. It will forthwith be distributed regularly by email.

February 2023 – It Really Does Feel Like The Bad Times Are Over For Now
Judging from the large number of events and visits that Penang Institute has had in the short month of February, the cautious attitude…
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January 2023 – Festivities Point Forward, Not Only Backward
We have really been in need of the many festivities of the last couple of months. Christmas was followed by the New Year…
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December 2022 – December 2022 is over. Now the 2020s can properly begin
Now, as December 2022 ticks, ticks, ticks into January 2023, it does feel like the 2020s are finally beginning…
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Nov 2022 – Malaysia Enters New Terrain In Its Nation Building
There is cautious optimism in the air. The 15th General Election is over, and Penang-born Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is finally the country’s Prime Minister. Penang Institute…
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October 2022 – Democracy Starts With The Vote, But Doesn’t End There
And so, the GE15 general election is called. Of the nine states which had not recently held state-level elections…
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September 2022 – Distinguishing Between A Uniting Nationalism And A Divisive One
As globalisation processes take hits from numerous angles, nationalism grows in strength throughout the world. This word—Nationalism…
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August 2022 – A Collaborative Approach Will Work Best for Developing, Keeping and Attracting Talents
The economic situation for Penang coming out of Covid-19 looks much better than many could have assumed. FDIs continue…
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July 2022 – Difficult but Promising Times Ahead
Even as Covid cases remain stubbornly high, the world at large has moved on to worry about other pressing matters, such as…
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June 2022 – Relax But Stay Cautious
As we start getting used to post-pandemic realities, and physical events and travels become daily affairs again, there is still a need to stay cautious…
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May 2022 – Making Conscious Choices In A Changed Environment
If you had fallen into a coma in January 2020, and woken up only in May 2022, you will probably feel very…
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April 2022 – Post-Pandemic, People Are Prone To Take Charge Of Their Lives
As things return to “normal” in Malaysia, most of us do sense that a profound transitional period is at hand. This goes beyond…
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March 2022 – Springtime In The Air
The past month has been a very busy one at Penang Institute, despite some staff members catching Covid-19. There is definitely optimism and energy…
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February 2022
Giving words and attention to the strange forms of isolation we had to endure over the last two years and to the various ways we devised to manage that…
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January 2022 – A Renewal Of Malaysian Federalism May Be At Hand
Johor is soon to hold its state election separate from the federal election. With that, it joins Sabah and Sarawak, which over the last 18 months …
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December 2021 – Trust Is What We Need, More Than Hope
Hope is what we reserve for things that are beyond our control. It is therefore the passive sentiment most popularly promoted when we are overwhelmed by events, as…
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