I refer to the newspaper reports in The Star on the March 13, 2017 at page 13 (Nation) where Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairperson Tan Teik Cheng claimed that high-speed catamaran ferries will be introduced to enable pedestrians to commute faster between the Penang Island and the mainland.

This proposal has to be studied carefully before it is actually implemented because high-speed catamaran ferries may not be suitable because of the daily high volume of marine traffic between Penang and the mainland. The Penang channel sees high number of container vessels coming in and out of the harbour. Occasionally you also have a high number of fishing boats of various sizes criss-crossing the channel from one end to the other.

We must also not forget that the recent accident of the waters of Sabah where a high-speed catamaran capsized killing a few has also raised serious questions about the safety features of the high-speed catamarans. The high-speed catamarans may not be suitable because of these reasons and the present ferry seems more suitable as it is easier to manoeuvre and can also load an unload vehicles of all sizes and passengers on both sides.

It would be more prudent to spend money to upgrade the present ferry services rather than constructing new jetties for the catamarans. The ferry has also become an iconic symbol for Penang and one of the most important attractions drawing tourists to Penang all this years.

I urge the Penang Port Commission to also clarify what would happen to the present workforce working on the ferries presently plying between the island and the mainland and whether those workers would be absorbed to eventually work on the catamarans proposed to be introduced soon.

RSN RAYER is state assemblyperson for Seri Delima.