BUTTERWORTH – The Penang Port Commission (PPC) has decided to dispose of four of its decommissioned ferries due to structural rot after one vessel, the “Pulau Kapas”, sank at the Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal here yesterday.
In a statement, commission chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin said that the PPC was alerted to the sunken ferry at 3.26am.
The ferry, which was moored at Dock 2 of the terminal, was partially sunk as the sea was still at low tide. The unit was already facing structural leaks and was beyond repair, said Yeoh.
“PPC took immediate action such as adding mooring lines and installing oil booms to prevent oil leaks from the (ferry’s) engine room,” he added.
The Pulau Kapas, which was built in 1981, was decommissioned on May 31, 2020, and was docked at the ferry terminal. The unit was handed over to the PPC by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd on January 1, 2021.
On July 1, 2021, the PPC leased all four iconic ferries – including the Pulau Kapas – to several qualified companies to be transformed into tourism products in the state.
“However the intention to transform the Pulau Kapas into a floating restaurant could not be realised as there was non-compliance by the lessee on the leasing agreement, and the leasing was ended in February 2023,” Yeoh said.
“PPC has received several offers from a company that was interested in buying or renting these ferries, but the high cost posed a major issue and the interested company could not prepare a suitable location to dock these ferries.
“Therefore, PPC decided to dispose of these ferries immediately as further repair works could not be carried out due to serious structural rot and (because) these ferries could not be floated again,” he said.
The Pulau Kapas, along with three other ferries – Pulau Undan, Pulau Paya and Pulau Talang Talang – have all been retired from the ferry service that was an iconic hallmark of tourists’ visits to Penang Island.
They had been part of the state’s cross-strait ferry services that have been operational since 1894, making it the oldest ferry service in the country.
The ferry service was initiated by a company named Beng Brothers, which was co-founded by local entrepreneur Quah Beng Kee and his four brothers. Originally a passenger-only service, these four ferries were later refitted to carry automobiles in 1925. – July 24, 2024