KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya and Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will go ahead with its plan to spend RM36.5 million on three water buses and two roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries for two-wheeled vehicles.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said in a Facebook post yesterday that the cross-channel ferry service will be improved and enhanced in line with current demands.
“This is not a new thing. Former transport minister Anthony Loke announced in the Dewan Rakyat on August 1, 2018, that a total of RM90 million will be allocated to Prasarana (Malaysia Bhd) to realise this.
“However, almost a year later, in August 2019, Loke said that the RM90 million allocation could not be implemented when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government decided to negotiate with PPSB to take over the ferry service and invest in a new catamaran.”
Wee said during a meeting between him and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on August 27, the ministry was frank and expressed its desire to improve the ferry services with the use of catamarans, as planned by the PH government.
He added that, in terms of maintenance costs, the existing ro-ro ferries need to be maintained once a month at a cost of almost RM3.5 million annually for each ferry.
“Last October, I personally discussed with Finance Minister (Datuk Seri) Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to get PPSB an allocation of RM30 million to realise a project planned and approved by the previous PH government.
“Is it sinful for the government to do that? Doesn't this help the people of Penang? Where is the logic to say that Penang was betrayed, as per the accusations levelled by (former finance minister) Lim Guan Eng?”
Wee also disputed why Lim did not reject Loke’s proposal, instead giving a larger allocation to the Transport Ministry to buy a ro-ro ferry that can carry cars, in a bid to preserve Penang's historical and cultural heritage.
He said the allocation of RM30 million that will be given to PPSB next year and in 2022 – in stages of RM15 million a year – is the result of the Transport Ministry’s discussions when his party found that Lim did not provide RM15 million to the ferry services in Budget 2020.
Regarding the 47-year-old ferry still used to carry four-wheeled vehicles, he said the Transport and Finance Ministries will not object to any party that wants to modify them into, for example, a restaurant, museum or for tourist cruises.
“Who says we want to throw away or destroy these old ferries?
“History and heritage are not things that can be bought with money, but we also cannot risk the lives and safety of the people.” – The Vibes, December 18, 2020
