GEORGE TOWN, Dec 25 — The federal government’s refusal to fund the revitalisation of Penang’s iconic ferries is a betrayal of the people of the state, and not due to safety concerns as claimed, said Penang Deputy Chief Minister I P. Ramasamy.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had said the decision to replace the ferries with catamarans had been done with the safety of passengers in mind.
Ramasamy however said Wee’s comments were a public relations exercise designed to soften the blow of the iconic vessels being done away with completely.
“If the federal government had pumped in adequate financial resources, the ferry service would not have been scrapped in the first place,” he said in a statement today.
The Penang lawmaker was responding to Wee’s statement yesterday where he confirmed that the ferries will be substituted with water buses for foot passengers and vehicle transporters for two-wheeled and emergency vehicles.
“If Wee’s statement is the final version of what is going to happen, then the removal of the iconic ferry service will constitute one of the greatest betrayals of the people of Penang by the federal government,” Ramasamy said.
As for Wee’s proposal that the iconic ferries could be converted into floating restaurants, museums or tourist cruises, Ramasamy labelled the suggestions as a “miserable attempt to placate the people of Penang”.
“It is my stand that iconic ferry service is needed for transporting passengers and two- and four-wheelers,” he said.
“There is no real interest in converting them into floating restaurants and heritage symbols of yesteryear,” he added.
He said retaining the old ferries for tourism purposes missed the point of why Penangites consider the ferry service an integral part of the public transport system.
Ramasamy claimed the removal of the ferries was a continuation of “an old vendetta” to punish Penang for its success.
“It is really the question of financial outlay to retain and refurbish the ferries,” he said, adding that the RM30 million allocation from the Finance Ministry will not contribute anything towards the improvement of the cross-channel public transport system.
He said the lack of financial support for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), besides the ferry, is representative of the federal-state relationship.
