GEORGE TOWN: Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), which will take over the ferry operations from Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, must explain if their plans for the iconic service will proceed as planned.
"That must be answered by PPSB. We should give the PPSB management time to get further instructions from the Transport and Finance Ministries on the matter," Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow told newsmen today.
He was asked to respond to the confusion following Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz's assurance in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the iconic and heritage ferry service would remain.
Zafrul had said the federal government would ensure that the Penang ferry remained in service, a condition set by the government to PPSB.
He had also said the RM30 million approved by the previous Pakatan Harapan government to PPSB would be channeled in two instalments beginning next year, with a total RM15 million for 2021 included in the allocation that was approved under the Supply Bill 2021.
Even Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had assured that the ferry service would be improved in line with present times.
However, various quarters, including PPSB chief executive Sasedharan Vasudevan, had expressed shock over the matter, saying it was different from what was mentioned earlier this week
Chow said he was not privy to what happened or discussed in Cabinet as he was not part of the federal government, then and now.
"As I have said, PPSB and Penang Port Commission (PPC) came to brief the state exco about their plans to run the ferry service using catamarans, and in the interim, the service would be run using leased ferries.
"And during the briefing too, the state exco had asked PPSB and PPC to convey to the Transport Ministry that the state wanted the ministry to reconsider its decision not to continue with the iconic and heritage ferries," he said, adding that he had no information about what happened after that.
Asked if the state felt it was being bullied by the federal government after a series of allocations were scrapped or postponed, with the latest being the scrapping of the iconic car-carrying ferries, Chow said he had reiterated Penang's contributions at every meeting with the federal government.
"We have been telling them that we can do better with federal's help. That has been our representation to the federal government.
"The federal government recognised our contributions but we told them we need projects, fundings to carry out our plans.
"He have never negated the fact that the federal government did provide us with allocations every year under the Malaysian Plan. Sometimes, what we need is more than what is given," he added.
It was reported that after nearly a century of service, Penang's iconic car-carrying ferries would cease operations on Dec 31.
Come Jan 1, PPSB would operate only fast passenger ferries between the Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth and the Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda here, while one of the existing ferries would be used to transport bicycles and motorcycles.
This was only temporary before PPSB introduced the use of passenger-only water buses and vehicle transporters by July 2022.
The federal government had set aside RM30 million for the purchase of four units of the water buses and vehicle transporters.
However, the announcement has met with unfavourable response from various quarters.
Earlier, Chow handed over scholarships to top students and athletes in the state.
For the Penang Future Foundation (PFF), a total of 74 students were rewarded scholarships worth a total RM3.4 million to study engineering, computer science and physics.
He also rewarded athletes Khambeswaran Mohanaraja, Mohd Daniel Rusydi Zainuddin, Mohamad Hafiz Halim, Muhamamd Hazwan Abd Wahab, Khairul Nizam Saad and Shahaiqal Abdullah cash aid so they could further their studies while pursuing