CM drowns in flak over 'strange' ferry idea
Athi VeeranganPublished: Jun 9, 2009 7:02 AM | Updated: Jun 9, 2009 8:51 AM
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has come under fire over what is being described as a 'strange' suggestion to engage a local council to operate the Penang ferry services.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has come under fire over what is being described as a 'strange' suggestion to engage a local council to operate the Penang ferry services.
The DAP secretary-general was also accused of misrepresenting historical facts by claiming that the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) once operated the ferry service during the pre-independence period.
"It's a ridiculous claim!" exclaimed former Penang DAP leader K Balasundram. "The council has never operated the ferry service."
"Being an outsider, Lim has exposed his lack of knowledge on Penang," said the local-born lawyer who quit the party during the 'Knock Out Kit Siang' crisis in the late 1990s.
The former Datuk Keramat assemblyperson (1990-95) pointed out that the Penang Harbour Board (PHB) operated the ferry service during the pre-independence period before the Penang Port Commission (PPC) took over in 1956.
Balasundram rapped Lim for misrepresenting historical facts, saying the "chief minister may have been given the wrong advice by someone who didn't have a single clue about Penang".
PPC was established under the Penang Port Commission Act 1956 and, according to its record, the ferry service began operations in 1920 by a private company then.
Balasundram said PHB later used to operate two ferry services – one from George Town to Butterworth and another from George Town to Prai’s Malayan Railway wharf.
Unlike now, the ferries then were barge-type vehicular-cum-passenger boats with a single side entry-exit passage.
Their commuters' pick up and drop off point in the island was at Mitchell Pier in George Town, which is located next to the current ferry terminal – Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
The current ferry terminal in Butterworth is called Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim.
Council cannot afford it
Yesterday, Lim suggested that MPPP may takeover the ferry operations since its current operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) was suffering massive losses, RM21 million in its last fiscal year, in running the service.
Currently PPSB deploys eight vehicular-cum-passenger double-decker ferries - Pulau Undan, Pulau Angsa, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Payar, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Rawa and Pulau Talang-Talang, to ply the George Town – Butterworth sea route daily.
Save Ourselves (SOS) coordinator Ong Boon Keong said Lim's 'strange' idea would only tear and wear the council financially.
He said PPSB was the ideal operator since it could offset its "ferry's losses with port's gains".
"The council cannot afford to take over the ferry operations. It will suffer massive financial losses and it would be costly against public interests," he said.
Meanwhile, Balasundram said MPPP could not possibly run a water-based transport system since the Local Government Act 1976 does not empower local municipality jurisdiction over waterways.
The water-based transport system comes under the purview of the Transport Ministry, empowered under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.
"Lim should not be making suggestions merely to pull off a publicity stunt," said Balasundram.
On July 31, 1988, Butterworth's Sultan Abdul Halim terminal bridge collapsed killing 32 people and injuring 1,674 people in the worst-ever ferry tragedy.
The DAP secretary-general was also accused of misrepresenting historical facts by claiming that the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) once operated the ferry service during the pre-independence period.
"It's a ridiculous claim!" exclaimed former Penang DAP leader K Balasundram. "The council has never operated the ferry service.""Being an outsider, Lim has exposed his lack of knowledge on Penang," said the local-born lawyer who quit the party during the 'Knock Out Kit Siang' crisis in the late 1990s.
The former Datuk Keramat assemblyperson (1990-95) pointed out that the Penang Harbour Board (PHB) operated the ferry service during the pre-independence period before the Penang Port Commission (PPC) took over in 1956.
Balasundram rapped Lim for misrepresenting historical facts, saying the "chief minister may have been given the wrong advice by someone who didn't have a single clue about Penang".PPC was established under the Penang Port Commission Act 1956 and, according to its record, the ferry service began operations in 1920 by a private company then.
Balasundram said PHB later used to operate two ferry services – one from George Town to Butterworth and another from George Town to Prai’s Malayan Railway wharf.
Unlike now, the ferries then were barge-type vehicular-cum-passenger boats with a single side entry-exit passage.
Their commuters' pick up and drop off point in the island was at Mitchell Pier in George Town, which is located next to the current ferry terminal – Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda.
The current ferry terminal in Butterworth is called Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim.
Council cannot afford it
Yesterday, Lim suggested that MPPP may takeover the ferry operations since its current operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) was suffering massive losses, RM21 million in its last fiscal year, in running the service.
Currently PPSB deploys eight vehicular-cum-passenger double-decker ferries - Pulau Undan, Pulau Angsa, Pulau Rimau, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Payar, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Rawa and Pulau Talang-Talang, to ply the George Town – Butterworth sea route daily.
Save Ourselves (SOS) coordinator Ong Boon Keong said Lim's 'strange' idea would only tear and wear the council financially.He said PPSB was the ideal operator since it could offset its "ferry's losses with port's gains".
"The council cannot afford to take over the ferry operations. It will suffer massive financial losses and it would be costly against public interests," he said.
Meanwhile, Balasundram said MPPP could not possibly run a water-based transport system since the Local Government Act 1976 does not empower local municipality jurisdiction over waterways.
The water-based transport system comes under the purview of the Transport Ministry, empowered under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952."Lim should not be making suggestions merely to pull off a publicity stunt," said Balasundram.
On July 31, 1988, Butterworth's Sultan Abdul Halim terminal bridge collapsed killing 32 people and injuring 1,674 people in the worst-ever ferry tragedy.
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