MCA leaders’ claim that the reason for the termination of Penang’s iconic ferry service is to ensure the safety and well-being of all its passengers. This is baseless and false because MCA has never asked for the views of passengers or the people of Penang whether they agreed to the termination of the iconic ferry services.
I am confident that an overwhelming majority will want the iconic ferry service to be maintained for historical and cultural heritage purposes. Despite his wild claims, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong cannot show proof that a single DAP leader had agreed to terminate and replace the iconic Penang ferry service, which carries cars and people, with catamaran vessels, which only carries motorcycles and people.
Wee Ka Siong’s termination of the iconic Penang ferry service is ringgit cost not the ferry’s safety or seaworthiness, resulting in the loss of an integral part of Penang’s unique cultural heritage. Only the unprincipled opportunists or apologists for MCA trying to curry favour with the unelected PN government, will agree to blindly destroying this unique link to Penang’s past before the completion of the 1st Penang Bridge.
As for the safety of the iconic ferry service, they are subjected to examination and inspection by the relevant authorities, whether the iconic ferries are seaworthy before being approved for transport operation. Is the Transport Ministry telling us that the iconic ferry service has been unsafe or unseaworthy all this time? Clearly this is not so.
Safety structures and features can be improved and repaired. Engine spare parts can still be obtained by 3-D manufacturing if necessary, and finally a new engine can be fitted on the existing ferries. As there are only 3 ferries operating, with one under repair, operational cost is not prohibitive. In fact, such cost is a necessary expense to preserve this unique cultural heritage.
This is the reason I had stipulated the condition that the iconic ferry service be continued in exchange for granting RM30 million cash grant to Penang Port Sdn Bhd to run the iconic ferries and catamarans when I was Finance Minister. Such a condition was confirmed by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul bin Tegku Abdul Aziz in Parliament on 17 December 2020. Unfortunately, Tengku Zafrul was unable to keep his promise in Parliament to allow the iconic ferries to continue to operate, which questions his authority and credibility as Finance Minister.
It will be a sad day when I go to the Island Ferry Terminal tomorrow at 10am to bid farewell to our Penang ferries and unique cultural heritage.