GEORGE TOWN – That a double-decker ferry has been left to rot in the Sg Prai dockyard is Lim Guan Eng’s fault, as the vessel was relocated there in 2019 when he was finance minister, said Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
The transport minister was responding to public backlash against his ministry and the Penang Port Commission (PPC) over photos of the ferry, named Pulau Pinang, in a dismal state, with parts looted from it.
“At that time, the ferry was under Rapid Ferry, a subsidiary of Prasarana (Malaysia Bhd), which is a company under Finance Ministry Inc,” said Wee in a Facebook post just past midnight.
He said Lim in 2019 announced RM30 million to assist Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) in buying new catamarans and taking over the ferry services – but this allocation was not in Budget 2020.
“Lim has easily forgotten who were the then finance and transport ministers. If he is so upset, why did he buy spare parts for the ferry and keep it in operation?
“At that time, he was so powerful, and I was not the transport minister, I was just an opposition lawmaker.”
The comments come after Lim, who was also Penang chief minister before Pakatan Harapan took federal power in May 2018, expressed a critical view of the iconic ferry being left in its sad state.
Wee had kind words for DAP secretary-general Lim’s successor as chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow, praising the latter for his willingness to discuss pragmatic solutions to the issue.
“He (Chow) also tried out the ferry replacement on December 30 (last year) with port staff before the services were handed over to PPSB in January.
“On December 24, Prasarana, which is owned by the federal government, wrote to the Penang transport exco offering the state six ferries, operational or otherwise, for free.
“The state government on January 18 agreed to take one ferry. The other five can be refurbished into museums, restaurants and special ferries for tourists, but not (for use) as public transport.
“PPC still has to go through the RFP (request for proposal) process or open tender for old or broken ferries.”
The state’s ferries commenced operations in 1894.
They were upgraded to double-decker transporters for vehicles, motorcycles and foot passengers in the 1970s.
Last year, PPSB and regulator PPC started to phase out the ferries and replace them with modern transporters, which will go into service later this year.
Catamarans leased from ferry operators in Langkawi are now used to transport people between the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal and Sultan Abdul Halim terminal in Butterworth, pending the transporters’ arrival. – The Vibes, June 6, 2021
