GEORGE TOWN – Penang has been “betrayed” by both Perikatan Nasional (PN) and MCA as the iconic Penang ferry service will be terminated, following the government’s refusal to honour commitments by the previous administration.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the previous federal government helmed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) had transferred the operations of the ferry service from Prasarana Nasional Berhad to port operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd with the understanding that the 126-year-old ferry service must be retained together with cash payments as an incentive.
But now according to the Penang Port Commission (PPC), the Penang ferry service that ferried both passengers and vehicles between the island and the mainland will cease operations from January 1.
It will be replaced by speedboats (catamarans) carrying only pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles.
“Not just Penangites but many Malaysians who love using the Penang ferry service to commute to the island city are sad at the PN Government’s justification for terminating the service as being driven by statistics and economics, rather than emotions or politics," said Lim in a statement.
“This cold and callous approach totally ignores both Penang’s unique heritage and history, an important role as an economic generator of tourism.
“Ending the ferry service will take the romance out of going to Penang in the traditional manner, bearing in mind that George Town is a Unesco World Heritage city,” added Lim.
“Heritage and history are something that money cannot buy and should be treasured for future generations.”
To save the ferry service, the Penang government had offered to take over the state’s entire water transport services, including the ferry service, in 2015 by bearing its costs.
Unfortunately, the Transport Ministry in 2016 refused to grant full authority to the Penang state government and insisted on exercising regulatory control over water transport and ferry services in Penang, even though the Transport Ministry was not footing the bill, said Lim.
“This is not the first time that Penangites have been ‘betrayed’ by the PN Government.”
The RM100 million allocated in the 2020 Budget to build the cable car on Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera) was also terminated.
Similarly, the promised bank loan guarantees by the previous PH Government to build an LRT line to overcome chronic traffic congestion on the island and Seberang Perai was also cancelled.
“DAP urged the Transport Ministry to have a heart, not to abandon Penang and its iconic ferry service.”
Many countries around the world still retain their original ferry services even though it may not be economical due to its intrinsic worth and intangible value to heritage and history, said Lim. – The Vibes, December 16, 2020
