An ode to Penang’s iconic ferries: Floating museum opens with history, artefacts and rooftop views
GEORGE TOWN, Sept 5 — The Penang Ferry Museum is now open to the public, almost a year after the iconic ferry made its last journey across the channel to be parked at the Tanjung City Marina to begin its second life as a floating museum.
Its exteriors emblazoned with caricatures painted by the late Penang artist, Azmi Hussin, the ferry museum is parked right next to Pangkalan Raja Uda, affording visitors views of the new ferries on one side and the Swettenham Pier on another side.
True to its name, the museum pays homage to Penang’s iconic ferries in its exhibits within the repurposed ferry, previously named Feri Pulau Pinang.
The first exhibition space on the main deck was filled with pictorial and factual information on the history of Penang’s ferries that was first introduced in 1893.
This leads on to a replica space where each model of the ferries throughout the years were replicated and displayed.
Each space was dedicated to different sections of the old ferries, including actual artefacts collected from some of the old ferries that were decommissioned.
“We accumulated some of these from this ferry and some were from ferries that were slated to be disposed and some were from ferries before they sank,” said the museum director Abdul Hadi Abu Osman.
The journey of the ferry museum was also an eventful one as the ferry had begun sinking before Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd was awarded the tender to convert it into a museum.
“The tender was in 2021 and we completed restoring it in 2024,” he said in a press conference after a media tour of the museum today.
Abdul Hadi, who is the chief executive officer of Printhero Merchandise, said the ferry spaung a leak and was sinking after it was towed from Butterworth to Tanjung City Marina.
It took them another two weeks to restore it and repair the leak, which was due to a faulty valve. “The original restoration costs were RM7 million but after it sunk, the costs went up to RM10 million,” he said.
The ferry’s engine room and navigation deck are also open to visitors to experience and marvel at how the ferries were operated in the past.
Passengers who had ridden on the old ferries could sit in a section with rows of metal seats for nostalgia, while two antique cars were exhibited nearby to showcase how the ferries once transported vehicles.
“Passengers on the old ferries have been on the main deck and upper deck but we have opened up the engine room under the main deck and also the rooftop, above the upper deck for added experience,” he said.
Plans for an open-air cafe on the rooftop are also underway.
Abdul Hadi said they have strengthened the hull and installed safety systems to ensure the safety of visitors.
“We have early warning systems if there is a leak, but the water level here is also shallow, so the ferry actually rests on the sea bed during low tide,” he said.
The Penang Ferry Museum, covering 6,000 sq ft, is now open to public during its trial period in the lead up to its grand opening on September 16.
He said they want to gauge the responses and feedback from visitors now to see if they need to make any improvements before the grand opening.
The ferry museum can accommodate about 150 people per hour and is open between 9am and 10pm daily.
Tickets can be bought online here or at the counter at Tanjung City Marina.
[Source: Malay Mail]
