GEORGE TOWN – Penang police have denied issuing any order to prevent former chief minister Lim Guan Eng from taking a ride on one of the state’s iconic ferries today, the last day the vessels are allowed to carry four-wheelers and pedestrians.
“I do not want to comment further, but I want to say that there has been no warning or directive on disallowing him from taking the ferry as alleged,” state police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan told Bernama.
Guan Eng, in a Facebook post yesterday, said state police had warned him against taking the ferry service at 10am today.
The Bagan MP said he was surprised by this, adding that he only wanted to use the 126-year-old ferry service for the last time.
Guan Eng and about 100 supporters took a ferry from the Pangkalan Raja Uda terminal here to the Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim terminal in Butterworth today.
MCA, meanwhile, criticised the DAP secretary-general for his statements on the Penang ferry issue, saying they are inconsistent and confusing.
State MCA Youth chief Lim Swee Bok said Guan Eng should understand that the federal government wants to upgrade the service to make it more viable and attract tourists.
“Does Lim still remember when he was chief minister in 2008, he repeatedly asked the federal government to replace the Penang Hill funicular railway system because of the frequent service breakdowns?
“As a result, in 2011, the Tourism Ministry bought a third-generation Swiss-made cable car costing RM73 million to replace the iconic funicular trains.
“However, when it involves upgrading the Penang ferry service, he opposed the suggestion,” he told reporters here today.
Last week, Penang Port Sdn Bhd announced that beginning January 1, only two ferries will remain in service to carry two-wheelers, while pedestrians will have to travel on fast boats, pending a switch to catamarans under the upgraded service in 2022. – Bernama, December 31, 2020
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