GEORGE TOWN: An old Penang ferry found half-sunken in a river in Butterworth was due for repairs in 2019 but nothing was done, transport minister Wee Ka Siong said today.
He said the Pulau Pinang ferry was due to get parts from the Netherlands when it was docked for repairs on Nov 27, 2019, but had been left in its current state until today.
“It was sent to the dockyard as it was due for docking … The parts from the Netherlands to repair it were never obtained,” he said in a Facebook post.
The condition of the abandoned ferry has caused an uproar among Penangites, who took to social media to voice their frustration.
Many regard the ferry service as a state icon with its 126-year history. The old ferries were retired earlier this year to make way for fast boats last Dec 31.
Wee said former finance minister Lim Guan Eng should be queried over the neglect since ferry services came under Prasarana, an agency under his ministry.
He also asked about Lim’s announcement of a RM30 million allocation at the end of 2019 to upgrade the ferry services which was never mentioned in the 2020 federal budget.
Wee said if people were upset why the parts had not been bought to fix the ferry, they should ask Lim “as at that time, he was powerful and I wasn’t the transport minister”.
Lim had taken to Facebook to accuse Wee of ending the ferry services and also faulted him over the sunken ferry.
The earlier fleet of seven open-decked ferries was retired because they were no longer viable to run due to safety concerns and were prone to breakdowns.
The newer ferries, in the form of water buses and vehicle transporters for two-wheelers, will come into service in 2022 or sooner when they are available, the transport ministry has said. - FMT
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