Freedom to live peacefully in Penang

I am researching Penang and other cities in Malaysia to determine whether I would want to relocate there from the United States. As a starting point, I have come up with a short list of questions about living there.

For instance, if a resident wanted to set up a small garden on a deck, could he or she do so without undue interference from local authorities? Can people air their grievances without being singled out as troublemaking dissidents? Are there local activist groups that educate the community about important health, economic, and environmental issues? How prevalent are surveillance cameras? Do locals feel that they are not been being watched 24 hours a day?