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Pangkor residents want Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty reopened to ease traffic

Spokesman Foo Yong Hooi speaks to reporters at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh January 22, 2020. ― Pictures by Farhan Najib
Spokesman Foo Yong Hooi speaks to reporters at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh January 22, 2020. ― Pictures by Farhan Najib

IPOH, Jan 22 ― The residents in Pulau Pangkor urged the state government to reopen the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty as the Pangkor Jetty has become congested with tourists visiting the island that is now duty-free.

Spokesman Foo Yong Hooi, 38, said residents started to face traffic problems after the closure of Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty starting January 1.

“Before this the local use the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty while the visitors will use the Pangkor Jetty. However, following the implementation of duty-free, the authorities have closed the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty.

“This has caused a massive traffic problem in the Pangkor Jetty. On holidays and weekends, we have to spend about three to four hours to get through to the island,” he told a press conference at the State Secretariat Building here today.

Foo, a businessman, pointed out that parking was also a problem at the Pangkor Jetty as space was limited.

He also said that the walkway to the Pangkor Jetty is four times bigger than the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty.

“Pangkor has about 12,000 residents and the majority of them are senior citizens. It is difficult for them to walk far to the jetty in order to board the ferries,” he said.

“Furthermore, they haven't adapted to the new system where they have to go through several checkpoints, including the Customs Department, before they can eventually board the ferry.

“The residents are not objecting to the system, but they need time to adapt to the new system. The authorities should reopen the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty for the locals,” he said.

Foo also said that most senior citizens travel daily from the island as the nearest hospital is located in Manjung.

Another resident Leong Soon Fatt, 56, hoped the government would understand the problems facing Pangkor residents.

“I would describe Pangkor as just a village placed on an island. There are not many attractions there as compared to Pulau Langkawi.

State Tourism, Arts and Culture committee chairman Tan Kar Hing speaks to reporters at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh January 22, 2020.
State Tourism, Arts and Culture committee chairman Tan Kar Hing speaks to reporters at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh January 22, 2020.

“The people who live there are mostly senior citizens and any development that takes should benefit the locals and not burden them,” he said.

Earlier, Foo, Leong and a group of residents handed over a memorandum on the issue to the mentri besar's adviser, Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin.

Zainol said that he is not authorised to comment on the issue, but will present the matter to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

State Tourism, Arts and Culture committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said the enforcement on the Pangkor Island was done on the Customs Department’s advice.

“We have to control the coming in and going out of the goods on the island. It's similar in other duty-free places as well.

“But the problem now is the space in the current jetty is not sufficient. We are aware of this problem and we are planning to upgrade the current jetty with the concept of private partnership,” he said, adding that upgrading work is expected to commence in the next two months.

Tan also said that the state government will discuss with the Federal government on the entry and exit points for the locals and the goods they bring.

It was learnt that the Sungai Pinang Kecil Jetty will be temporarily reopened from January 23 to 27 in order to ease the traffic flow due to the Chinese New Year festival.

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