KUALA LUMPUR: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd is taking over the ferry operations between Penang island and Butterworth for an indefinite trial period starting today, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said Prasarana will use the trial period to look into how the management of the ferry operations can be improved.
“The Transport Ministry is supportive of the takeover and we have given our blessings.
“We are confident that Prasarana have the capacity and management to run the ferry services and provide a great service to the people in Penang,” he told reporters today.
Prasarana, a 100 per cent government-owned company which was set up by the Ministry of Finance, is Malaysia's leading public transportation company.
NST reported in November last year that Prasarana had expressed interest in the loss-making ferry operations.
In August 2016, utilities and infrastructure group MMC Corp Bhd announced that it was acquiring 35.99 million shares, or a 49 per cent stake, in Penang Port for RM200 million cash, but with the assumption that the ferry business was not part of the deal.
In May this year, MMC group managing director Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said the group expected to hand over the ferry business to Prasarana in two months pending some paperwork.
Che Khalib said Prasarana would not only get the ferry service, but also the ferry terminals both on the mainland and Penang island.