Penang Institute

Penang Institute Penang Institute, founded in 1997, is today one of Malaysia’s major public policy think tanks.

30/04/2026

Penang is strategically positioned in the global economy. Market access isn’t the issue.

The real question is how we create value.

In the latest episode Spill the Teh, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, YB Steven Sim talks about moving forward means focusing on talent, technology, things, and trademarks. Not just producing, but owning what we create. The foundation is there. Now it’s about powering it up.

Listen to the full episode via the link: https://penanginstitute.org/podcasts/spill-the-teh/ep-37-stevensim/

Steven Sim Chee Keong 沈志强

What can Malaysia learn from the 2025 online conflict between Thai and Cambodian netizens?As tensions spilled from borde...
27/04/2026

What can Malaysia learn from the 2025 online conflict between Thai and Cambodian netizens?

As tensions spilled from borders into digital spaces, sarcasm, ridicule and nationalism took centre stage online. But what do these patterns reveal—and how close are we to similar dynamics at home?

Join researchers from across Southeast Asia as they unpack insights from this cross-border study.

📅 Tuesday, 5 May 2026
🕒 3–4.30PM
📍 Penang Institute

For those interested in online culture, regional conflict, and how digital spaces shape real-world tensions—this is one to catch.

👉 Free admission, register now: https://bit.ly/Online-Conflict

22/04/2026

When global conflict pushes up oil prices, the impact flows through transport, supply chains, and storage costs—before reaching consumers.

Here are some insights from one of Malaysia’s retail leaders, Datuk Andrew Lim, Group Executive Chairman of the GAMA Group and Macrovalue Group which owns and operates Mercato, Cold Storage, and Giant, on why inflation is a process, not a moment.

Listen to the full discussion: https://penanginstitute.org/podcasts/ep-36-from-gama-to-giant-datuk-andrew-lim-on-commerce-community-and-conscience/

18/04/2026

Dr. Wu Lien-Teh Annual Public Lecture 2026 and Award Ceremony for the Dr. Wu Lien-Teh Award for Leadership in Public Health.

Sustainable Development is a global agenda, namely Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 3 specifically focuses to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, including public health as a critical component to healthcare globally. To ensure that SDGs are integrated firmly in public healthcare practices in fulfilling Agenda 2030, a stepwise approach is proposed as a tried and tested initiative at a local campus. In addition, a long-forgotten indigenous concept (sejahtera) was reintroduced. The presentation will share and elaborate on the action taken for implementation.

On April 7, Dato’ Dr. Ooi Kee Beng, Executive Director of Penang Institute, delivered welcoming remarks at the “PLLACE F...
17/04/2026

On April 7, Dato’ Dr. Ooi Kee Beng, Executive Director of Penang Institute, delivered welcoming remarks at the “PLLACE Final Conference.” Organised by the Penang Living Lab for Advancing the Creative Economy (PLLACE), the event presented two years of research on Penang’s creative sector. This British Academy-funded project is a collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Greenwich, USM, and UTAR.

The conference was officiated by YB Wong Hon Wai (PETACE) and featured a keynote by YB Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. Other notable attendees included YB Syerleena Abdul Rashid (MP for Bukit Bendera), YB Lee Khai Loon, Mr. Lee Khai (Chairman of the Penang State Art Gallery), and renowned festival director Mr. Joe Sidek.


abdrashid


Selected excerpts on US–China rivalry and the shifting structure of global politics.These quotes explore how power trans...
15/04/2026

Selected excerpts on US–China rivalry and the shifting structure of global politics.
These quotes explore how power transitions, alignment pressures, and regional positioning shape international relations today — particularly in Southeast Asia’s strategic balancing between major powers.

Watch the full discussion: https://youtu.be/OrLSW4BocVY?si=ou1DPgE2XJ7O6Al2

On 3 April 2026, Penang Institute hosted a workshop funded by the Templeton Foundation under the grant “New Religiosity ...
15/04/2026

On 3 April 2026, Penang Institute hosted a workshop funded by the Templeton Foundation under the grant “New Religiosity and the Digital Study of Eudaimonia.” It is part of a global research initiative on new religions led by Dr Stephen Christopher and Suzanne Newcombe of King’s College London.

In collaboration with the Database of Religious History, developed at University of British Columbia, the project gathers scholarly and insider perspectives on contemporary religious movements. Participants contribute structured entries to a growing open-access database, strengthening comparative research on global religious diversity, practices, and transformations. Dr Stephen Christopher came to Penang to conduct the workshop.

Photo caption: Dr. Stephen Christopher (left) explained the project funded by the Templeton Foundation.

Malaysia’s middle class is expanding, but is it strengthening?The M40 makes up 40% of households and contributes signifi...
14/04/2026

Malaysia’s middle class is expanding, but is it strengthening?

The M40 makes up 40% of households and contributes significantly to domestic consumption.

Yet income growth is slowing, living costs are rising, and financial buffers are thinning.
❓ Did you know a considerable share of middle-income households does not perceive themselves as genuinely belonging to the middle class?
From rising essentials and digital costs to moderating income growth (as reflected in declining CAGR), the data suggests a growing tension between statistical expansion and lived economic reality.

🔎 What the Issue points to 👇
📉 Slower upward mobility
💸 Reduced buffer against rising living costs
⚖️ Structural fragility despite rising absolute income
🧭 The need to rethink policy beyond B40/M40/T20 categories
The M40 is not a small group. It is the backbone of domestic demand.

📘 Swipe through for key points.
👉 Read the full report: https://bit.ly/MidMY
💭 Join the conversation: What should Malaysia change to genuinely strengthen the middle class—raise wages, reduce essential costs, reform social protection, or rethink our growth model?

👍 Like • 💬 Comment • 🔁 Share to keep the discussion going
➕ Follow Penang Institute for evidence-based policy research on Malaysia.


Yesterday, Penang Institute proudly launched Heritage Brands of Penang, authored by Dato’ Tony Yeoh. The book traces the...
10/04/2026

Yesterday, Penang Institute proudly launched Heritage Brands of Penang, authored by Dato’ Tony Yeoh. The book traces the stories of 59 heritage brands and 21 emerging brands, exploring the people behind the businesses, the challenges they overcame, and the values that have sustained them across generations. It highlights how these enterprises have endured economic shifts and generational transitions while continuing to serve their communities and shape Penang’s commercial life.

The launch brought together policymakers, institutional leaders and media partners, and was graced by the Guest of Honour, Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow. Among the distinguished guests were YB Steven Sim Chee Keong and YB Zairil Khir Johari, whose presence reinforced the importance of long-standing businesses in sustaining Penang’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Penang Institute expresses its heartfelt appreciation to Dato’ Tony Yeoh and all participating brands for their support and cooperation in bringing this publication to life.

Heritage Brands of Penang is now available for purchase. For more information or to obtain a copy, please contact Penang Institute.

08/04/2026

Neutrality is easy to claim—but harder to sustain.

As US–China tensions escalate, Southeast Asia is often described as “non-aligned.” But is that a position, or a negotiation under pressure?

In this talk, leading international relations scholar Dr. Khong Yuen Foong unpacks the realities behind the rhetoric—and what it means for the region moving forward.

Watch the full discussion: https://youtu.be/OrLSW4BocVY?si=V46bg8EmQENrg_GD

ASEAN
ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute
World Economic Forum

A significant milestone for Penang’s economic future! Today marks the official establishment of the PIFC Special Task Fo...
07/04/2026

A significant milestone for Penang’s economic future! Today marks the official establishment of the PIFC Special Task Force, with appointment letters presented to our members.

As a joint secretariat alongside the State Finance Department, Penang Institute is honored to be a key driver in this initiative. Our role is to provide the advisory and strategic support needed to develop a robust policy framework through a “whole-of-state” public-private partnership.

While building a world-class financial district is a long-term journey, this task force is the vital first step in transforming Penang from a manufacturing powerhouse into a regional high-tech financial hub.







Photo credit: Buletin Mutiara

07/04/2026

Marshall McLuhan’s famous phrase, “the medium is the message,”, argues that the form through which we communicate shapes society more deeply than the content itself. Feminist media theorist Sarah Sharma (2022) revisits his work to show how media technologies reproduce and amplify inequality. Drawing on these debates this talk will explore themes from the book, Sexuality and Islamic Spirituality in Early Malay Texts (2025) which traces how concepts of intimacy evolved from sixteenth-century Malay manuscripts—syair, hikayat, kitab—to early twentieth-century printed works.

Using two issues, “marital rape” and “wife-beating” as focal points, the talk examines how they are understood and transformed moving through the medium of spiritual text to instructional poetry to gender policy to legal code. How can the experience of the same story —its emotional force, social habits, disciplinary effects, and moral imagination— differ through the medium it is conveyed?

Address

10 Brown Road
George Town
10350

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 17:30
Tuesday 08:30 - 17:30
Wednesday 08:30 - 17:30
Thursday 08:30 - 17:30
Friday 08:30 - 17:30

Telephone

+6042283306

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