ALOR STAR: The decision to turn back the ferry between Langkawi and Kuala Kedah during bad weather and choppy sea conditions was made over fears for passenger safety.
Konsoritum Ferrylines Ventures Sdn Bhd general manager Captain Dr Baharin Baharom said the company prioritised passenger safety.
"This is why we acted swiftly to turn back to land upon realising the waves were getting higher," he said.
Baharin was commenting on the incident involving passenger ferries from Langkawi to Kuala Kedah and Kuala Kedah to Langkawi that were directed to turn back over the past two days.
He said the incident was unexpected due to the bad weather causing waves up to 4m high.
He praised the swift action of the ferry captain to turn back during strong waves, as it was crucial for saving the lives of all passengers.
"However, we are giving passengers the option to either get a refund or reschedule their trip to Langkawi, Kuala Kedah, or Kuala Perlis.
"Passengers who are stranded can claim insurance due to the delay in the travel schedule. The insurance claim is RM50 for delays of between four and eight hours and RM200 for delays exceeding eight hours.
"Affected passengers can contact the Cuti-Cuti Langkawi customer service officers for more information," he said.
Baharin added that for tomorrow's travel, the company will provide regular ferry services with five trips a day from Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, and Langkawi.
However, the company reserves the right to cancel ferry trips if bad weather conditions pose a danger to passengers.
"People can obtain information about ferry services through media announcements, the Ferryline Ventures social media pages, or Cuti-Cuti Malaysia, as well as at the ferry counters.
"Nonetheless, we will provide additional ferries depending on passenger needs to continue trips to Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis, or Langkawi," he said.
Meanwhile, Sarah Sofea Mohamad, 21, a student from a college in Sungai Petani, was surprised when informed by her mother about the cancellation of the ferry from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi today.
She said that she had intended to return home to Langkawi to spend the semester break, but had to opt for an additional ferry departing at 8pm tonight from Kuala Perlis.