Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has misled Parliament as he failed to keep his promise to continue with the iconic Penang ferry services, said DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng.
Development projects cancelled by PN government:
- Expansion on Penang Airport
- Grant to build Penang Hill cable car
- Federal government guarantees for RM2 billion loan to finance LRT project
In a statement, Lim said Tengku Zafrul’s misleading statement in Parliament on December 17 can be punished by Parliament’s Committee of Privileges.
“By breaking his promise so readily in Parliament, Tengku Zafrul has not only damaged his credibility but also jeopardised the country’s international reputation by being seen as a ‘lightweight’ with no influence on government policy.”
“I hope Tengku Zafrul can enlighten Penangites by publicly clarifying this confusing situation, which can have serious repercussions beyond merely retaining the iconic Penang ferry services,” said Lim, who was the finance minister during Pakatan Harapan administration.
A week ago, Tengku Zafrul told the Dewan Rakyat the RM30 million allocated by the Pakatan Harapan government for Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) to maintain the ferry services, which began in 1894, will be channelled in two instalments next year.
“The government will ensure that Penang Port will be required to continue Penang’s iconic ferry service,” he said.
Lim’s statement yesterday came a day after Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the current vessels for the Penang ferry will stop operating to make way for modern catamarans to transport people.
the first cross-strait ferry service between Penang Island and the mainland, which began in 1894.
Lim also claims the government’s decision to cancel the oldest ferry service in the country is proof of the animosity Perikatan Nasional (PN) has against the state.
“The cancellation of the iconic 126-year-old Penang ferry service is an unequivocal declaration of the PN government’s open confrontation with the people of Penang, led by their chosen hatchet man, MCA president (and transport minister) Wee Ka Siong,” Lim said in a statement.
However, Wee has since confirmed that the old ferries will make way for “safer, faster and cheaper-to-maintain” water buses (to carry passengers) and lighters (to carry motorcycles). These are expected to arrive by mid-2022.
Wee said that while many had expressed regret that the old ferries were being replaced, the need to ensure passenger safety made it crucial for a newer generation of ferries to be put into service.
Future carriers will not carry cars but only pedestrians, motorcycles or bicycles. Cars and lorries will have to use one of the two bridges linking the mainland to the island.
“This is not the first time that Penang has suffered badly from the heavy hand of vengeance politics since the PN government took over in March 2020,” added Lim.
He said that apart from the loss of the old ferries, Penang saw several other development projects approved by the Pakatan Harapan government cancelled by the PN administration.
Lim said among them were the proposed RM800 million expansion of the Penang International Airport, work on which was put off.
He also highlighted the cancellation of a RM100 million grant to build the Penang Hill cable car and the suspension of federal government guarantees for the Penang state government to secure a RM2 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank to finance the construction of the Light Rail Transit project.
Lim said the cable car was to cater to the increase in traffic from 250,000 passengers a year to two million.
The LRT project was planned to ease the chronic traffic congestion in Penang that impedes future growth prospects.
“Despite Penang contributing RM7 billion in yearly taxes and revenue to the federal government, the PN government has taken back all these critical development projects planned by the PH government,” said Lim.
“MCA and Wee will never be forgiven nor forgotten by Penangites and our children for their vindictive, vengeance politics,” he said.