Blame politicians for end of Penang ferry service: ex-Jelutong MP

GEORGE TOWN – Penangites have become the ultimate losers in the scrapping of the iconic cross channel Penang ferry service as of next month, says an ex-parliamentarian.
 
Instead of finding a solution to the woes faced by the ferries from maintenance and operational costs, as well as spare parts; the issues were tolerated for over two decades by successive state governments when they should have been more proactive in resolving it, said former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun.
 
“Both the former ruling coalition of Pakatan Harapan and the present Perikatan Nasional must share the blame. You have let down the people here, who feel betrayed. The people here are the losers.”
 
Ooi pointed out that Pakatan, for 22 months through DAP, helmed the Finance and Transport Ministries, yet failed to find a solution to the problem of an aging fleet.
 
Ooi said that politicians should have used innovation, technology and sought public support in trying to salvage the service, instead of allowing it to slip into disrepair that the iconic ferries needed to be decommissioned, with catamaran speed boats replacing them.
 
Even the purchase of the water buses and transporters may worsen the situation because they no longer can afford to ferry automobiles, said Ooi in an interview.
 
“If Hong Kong’s Star Ferry Service can continue to operate, why can’t the one in Penang, which share similar attributes, also be sustainable,” he said.
 
He added that both services had begun about the same time although Penang is older by a few years, but the difference here is the desire to preserve rather than disregard issues such as maintenance, Ooi claimed.
 
Hong Kong Star Ferry was founded 1888, renamed to its present brand, in 1898.
 
The ferry services suffered disruption during the second world war, and the current infrastructure was completed in 1957.
 
Until the opening of the Cross Harbour Tunnel in 1972, the Star Ferry remains the go-to means of public transportation between Hong Kong island and Kowloon.
 
The oldest vessel of the current fleet, was acquired in 1965 and it is still operating, said Ooi.
 
Pulau Tikus assemblyperson Chris Lee Chun Kit has called for the chairman of the Penang Port Commission (PPC) Datuk Tan Teik Cheng to resign for failing to convince federal authorities to find a way to salvage the iconic ferry.
 
Malaysia Association of Hotels vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said that as a true bred Penangite, he hopes the iconic ferry can be retained for sentimental value and heritage, as well as its pull for tourism, although it has lost its importance as a public transport provider.
 
Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce president Datuk Faudzi Naim Noh has however, urged the people to set aside emotional attachment and move on, saying everything needs to change and so does the ferry service, which he said must be upgraded to suit present needs.
 
He said that there were hardly any local passengers aboard the rides these days, and most of them were non-locals or low-income workers, who use it to save on commuting costs.
 
Faudzi said this was similar to the public stage bus service – Rapid Penang – whose ridership now was also mostly non-locals.
 
He said that upgrading of the service also meant that the catamarans can dock in many parts of the island and the mainland, instead of just relying on the main cross channel route – The Vibes, December 16, 2020.