Penang Confidential – A Fascinating Glimpse into a Bygone Penang
Author: Mike Gibby
Cover design and layout by Adrian Cheah
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Mike Gibby, the author of "Penang Confidential", on three of his previous books. Each time, I have been impressed by his dedication to meticulous research and his passion for bringing his books to life. However, "Penang Confidential" stands out as a particularly exceptional and thorough work that exemplifies Mike's constant dedication to penning a gripping narrative.
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CENTENARY – Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of The Old Frees’ Association
Author: Quah Seng Sun
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah
Cover painting by Khoo Cheang Jin
In 1923, a group of high-profile individuals which included personalities such as Yeoh Guan Seok, Khoo Sian Ewe, Quah Beng Kee and Harold Cheeseman established The Old Frees’ Association, an organisation for former students and teachers of Penang Free School. The Association reaching its 100th anniversary in 2023 is indeed a milestone. The journey has been marked by resilience in the face of adversity: from surviving the ravages of the Second World War to enduring fires on its premises. Yet, amidst the trials, there have been moments of triumph as well. Notably, the Association played a pivotal role in giving Hutchings School its name, as well as supporting Penang Free School during its Sesquicentenary celebration in 1966 and Bicentenary in 2016. As The Old Frees’ Association reaches its own landmark Centenary in 2023, the occasion is commemorated with a book that reflects upon the Association’s legacy of the past century of years.
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Lies That Blind
A Novel of Late 18th Century Penang
E.S. Alexander
Book cover design by Adrian Cheah
What would you risk to avoid obscurity?
Malaya, 1788.
Aspiring journalist Jim Lloyd jeopardises his future in ways he never could have imagined. He risks his wealthy father’s wrath to ride the coat-tails of Captain Francis Light, an adventurer governing the East India Company’s new trading settlement on Penang.
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Ten Thousand Prosperities: The Story of Ban Hin Lee Bank
Quah Seng Sun
Book design and layout by Adrian Cheah
Cover design by Peta Yeap Liew Shih
Preface
A great part of my working life has been spent in the banking industry. In particular, 23 years of a total 24 were in the employment of Ban Hin Lee Bank Berhad, from 1977 till 2000.
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The Bungalows of Penang Hill
Mike Gibby
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah
From the first colonists to the towkays and millionaires of modern Malaysia, a bungalow on Penang Hill has always been an aspiration and a dream. How better to confirm one’s position in society, than with a home at the top of the Hill?
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Discover Penang's ‘island behind the hills’ in this memoir and guide
Book review by Andrea Filmer
The Star, Monday, 26 July 2021
Even with the country in lockdown, Balik Pulau has continued to receive a steady stream of visitors.
Coming in from the long, winding roads that connect the old town with the rest of Penang island, travellers now are not heading for the durian estates or famous laksa stalls.
Rather, most have their attention on their GPS devices, trying to make their way to the mega vaccination centre (PPV) at the Balik Pulau Sports Complex that has been administering hundreds of Covid-19 vaccines daily to those living in the state’s south-west district.
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The Armenians of Singapore: A Short History
Nadia H. Wright
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions
So small a community: so great a legacy!
Fewer than 750 Armenians have ever lived in Singapore, yet St Gregory’s Church, Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, the Straits Times newspaper and Raffles Hotel owe their existence to the pioneering Persian Armenians.
Who were these Armenians, what did they do and what happened to them?
This book throws light on those questions.
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The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history
Authors: Keith Hockton, Marcus Langdon
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions
This handy, illustrated pocket guide tells the rich history of Penang Hill’s early bungalows as seen from the historic trail of The Habitat Penang Hill. It is not only an invaluable guide for those intending to walk The Habitat Penang Hill’s historic rainforest trail but also a useful keepsake for locals and visitors to Penang.
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Alana and The Secret Life of Trees at Night
Book One
by Keith Hockton
Illustrated by Winnie Cheng
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions
Trees are magical.
Trees tell stories, love, walk, dance and sing and have done so for thousands of years. When you start to think a tree is just a tree, think again, for at night their world comes alive and they get up to all sorts of secret tree business.
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From Sentul to Oxford: autobiography of Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam
Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah
I have written this brief autobiography not as an ego ride but as a source of information for my grandchildren. This gives them an insight into my background and their ancestral past. Hopefully, they can draw upon my success or avoid my mistakes and shortcomings.
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