Feb 20 (Reuters) - World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his unbeaten run in 2026 as he beat defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6(3) 6-4 on Friday to reach the Qatar Open final, reaching the 12th summit clash in his last 13 tournaments.
Aging owners: Charcoal and firewood trader Tan Ah Boay checking supply at his shop along Lebuh Bakau in George Town. Hotels, restaurants and hawkers keep him in business. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star GEORGE TOWN: Frying char koay teow over charcoal has long been a hallmark of authenticity, just as wood-fired ovens give pizza its distinctive kick.
But the number of suppliers of these essentials on the island has fallen sharply, from 36 to just three. A check along Lebuh Bakau – a small road off Jalan Jelutong long associated with the trade – shows the business has almost disappeared. Tan Ah Kee, 73, who runs the family business with his two brothers, said: “Demand is lower than before gas stoves became common, but it is still sustainable. My customers include hotels, restaurants and hawkers.”Tan explained that hotels and restaurants prefer firewood for pizza ovens, often ordering two lorry-loads at a time. Hawkers, meanwhile, rely on charcoal to achieve a distinctive charred flavour – a deep, smoky, slightly bitter taste created by lightly burning the food’s surface.“There is even a kuey teow thng hawker who uses charcoal to keep his soup piping hot,” he said. While bulk orders continue to come from food operators, he said campers and households usually buy smaller quantities, such as a few pieces or a 1kg bag of charcoal. He sources his supply from Taiping, Perak, ordering about 14 to 15 tonnes of firewood and 10 tonnes of charcoal every two months – far less than in previous decades.During its heyday, Lebuh Bakau was home to 36 charcoal and firewood traders.Today, only three businesses remain, all run by operators in their 60s and 70s. Tan, who joined his father’s trade at 15, said there was little rivalry among the remaining operators, noting that they grew up together, remaining friends and looking out for one another.“This is labour-intensive work. We have to repackage the charcoal into smaller bags and split firewood into usable sizes. It’s not appealing to young people.Selangor Sultan receives RM11.47mil in business tithe contributions
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