GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Port Commission (PPC) has announced its decision to dispose of the iconic car-carrying ferries promptly, following the capsizing of the Pulau Kapas ferry this morning at the Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) terminal.
At about 3.26 am, PPC was alerted to the incident involving the Pulau Kapas ferry, which had been docked at pier two and suffered a leak, rendering it irreparable.
The ferry, built in 1981, ceased operations on May 31, 2020, and was subsequently docked at PSAH.
PPC chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin said that the ferry partly capsized as the seawater receded.
"PPC has taken immediate actions by adding more mooring lines and installed an oil boom to contain any potential oil spill from the ferry's engine room," he said.
Yeoh said that the Pulau Kapas ferry, along with other iconic ferries, was leased to several companies in 2021 with plans to repurpose them for tourism, including a proposed floating restaurant.
However, these plans fell through due to the lessee's non-compliance with the lease agreement, which ended in February last year.
Despite receiving offers from companies interested in purchasing or renting the ferries, he said that the high costs and unsuitable placement of the ferries at PSAH had led to the decision to dispose of them.
"As such, PPC has decided to dispose of the iconic ferries as soon as possible," he added.