DESPITE twice tilting with water fast seeping in with the threat of going under, the iconic Penang ferry named "Pulau Pinang" held steady for the past five years to preserve its legacy as an icon of the island state.
Now moored in a new home off the Tanjung Marina, the now stationary double-decker ferry was converted to become a ferry museum by a Bumiputra start-up - Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd.
The public cross-channel ferry service began in Penang 242 years ago in tandem with the rapid growth of the island from trading to services, and is now a key part of the global supply chain for the electronics and electrical (E & E) market.
The service survived World War II, recession and a deadly mishap in 1988 when 32 passengers perished under the weight of a collapsed pedestrian linkway.
The ferries, however, were overshadowed by the sprawling Penang Bridge in 1985.
Since then, its significance and importance have eroded for the distinctive yellow double-decker ferry which could carry pedestrians, automobiles and mopeds, as well as trucks.
It could not keep pace with the speed era of the internet and digitalisation.
The twin-decker was manufactured locally, using a design from Hong Kong, but it was a symbol of the state, as nowhere else was such a service available, in the world perhaps - a serene 20-minute ride across a secured channel.
It was therefore seeped in the memory of the residents and former Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who fought to ensure a rebirth of the ferries.
So, two of them are now converted - one as a floating restaurant in Q2, near Queensbay Mall and the latest - a museum right in the heart of Pengkalan Kota (Weld Quay).
Weld Quay is an area where the Penang Port expanded from the Swettenham Pier to the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal, with the Tanjong Marina nested in the middle.
The ferry museum was officially launched last night by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, before proud operator Abdul Hadi Abu Osman, who grew up fond of the ferries plying daily from 6 am until midnight.
Loke said that the ferry service was a victim of its own success and paid a price because the government wanted to ensure its ticket prices were affordable.
"We had to control the pricing as it was a public service," Loke said to a question on how the operator - Penang Port Sdn Bhd continues to suffer operational losses from maintaining the service.
The double-decker is now replaced by modern catamaran boats, which ply faster but do not offer a chance for their passengers to take in the sights and sounds, as well as the smell of calm channel water.
Loke also reiterated that the double-decker ferries will no longer run because their maintenance costs were too high. - January 13, 2026.
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