THE Consumers Association of Penang is shocked and outraged when photographs of a nearly submerged iconic ferry were shared on social media by netizens yesterday.
If news of the ferry, named Pulau Pinang, had not appeared on social media, would the Penang Port Commission (PPC) authorities have engaged a contractor to pump out the water? Would there have been an announcement that it will be turned into a museum?
Most importantly, why has its hull not been repaired before it was corroded by seawater? Would it not be more expensive to repair the holes in the hull now and clean off the seawater from inside the ferry?
As what the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland said, “Off with their heads!”
There is no excuse, in this instance, why the ferries – considered a national heritage – cannot be maintained in good condition even if their engines cannot be repaired.
It is utterly shameful because it shows a total disregard of what the ferries meant to Penang, and it also shows a dereliction of duty on the part of the management and personnel responsible for the vessels.
Thus, those responsible should be made answerable to this debacle, with the findings be made public. Those responsible should be sacked if there are elements of gross negligence; otherwise, there is no public accountability.
It was reported that the old ferries will be repurposed when they were decommissioned, but to see one sink shows that PPC may not have been forthright in the first place.
Any business entity would have made sure that its asset is looked after. Other than caring for the interests of Penangites, PPC doesn’t seem to care about its asset. Probably their plan is to scrap the ferries.
Having seen the pathetic condition of “Pulau Pinang”, we urge the authorities to reveal the detailed status of the other eight ferries – Pulau Angsa, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Labuan, Pulau Payar, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Talang-Talang and Pulau Undan.
We have to bear in mind that some of these ferries were retired only early this year. – The Vibes, June 6, 2021
Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of Consumers Association of Penang
