Mural for a master: A tourist taking a selfie with the mural of Tan and Khoo frying char koay teow, in Cecil Street market in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s legendary barefoot char koay teow seller is now immortalised in paint as a street mural on the side of a shophouse along McNair Street, just opposite the bustling Cecil Street market here.
Local mural artist Vincent Phang, 39, recently handpainted the mural of Tan Bak Juah, 71, who is known for frying koay teow over a charcoal stove while barefooted.
Phang, who took about 10 days to complete the mural with the building owner’s permission, said the artwork is a tribute to veteran tradesmen, particularly hawkers.
“Many hawkers have dedicated their lives and worked hard to cook up dishes that are unique and which have become part of Penang’s fame and identity.
“I hope with such murals, hawkers like Tan, who is a third generation hawker, will be remembered,” said Phang, who has created more than 100 murals across the country, including in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.
Tan, who carries on a family legacy started by his late father nearly 80 years ago, said his barefoot habit was inspired by his father who first taught him the trade.
“Since the age of 12, I have followed and learnt from my father who fried koay teow. After his passing, the business was handed down to my older brother, and I took over about 20 years ago.
“Just like my father, I am afraid of the heat, so working while barefooted allows better heat dissipation from the body and for my feet to absorb the coolness from the cement floor,” he said yesterday at his stall, now located within the Cecil Street market’s food court.
Accompanied by his wife, Khoo Siew Luang, 63, who helps manage orders from the steady stream of customers, Tan explained that his father once sold char koay teow from a wooden cart at Tye Sin Street (known as Fourth Street in Hokkien) in the mornings before the cart was pushed through McNair Street to Cecil Street in the afternoons.
As traffic in the area grew heavier, the stall eventually found a permanent home inside the Cecil Street market food court, where Tan operates from 6.30am to 3pm daily. The stall is closed on Thursday.
