The iconic Penang Ferry Museum being towed from Bagan Dalam Slipway to SPCT. The Star/ANN Photo

GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Ferry Floating Museum, housed in the decommissioned iconic ferry Pulau Pinang at the Tanjung City Marina, will open its doors at the end of the year.

Penang Ferry Museum curator Siti Faridah Hani Damsi said the ferry has undergone more than 70 per cent of repair work and 90 per cent of refurbishment work.

The ferry was towed from the Bagan Dalam slipway on the mainland to Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) yesterday, where it will be anchored before being moved to its permanent place at Tanjung City Marina.

It was expected to reach SPCT at 3pm because of stormy weather but had reached earlier.

It was earlier reported that the ferry, which was half sunken in Bagan Dalam in 2021, would be fully restored to be a museum by a private company.

The report said Printhero Merchandise (M) Sdn Bhd was picked because of its experience in managing souvenir shops at the foothill of Penang Hill, Muzium Negara and Muzium Perak.

Upon completion, this ferry museum is set to feature exhibits, souvenir shops, a cafe and photography spots.

The old iconic ferries, some commissioned in the 1970s, were retired at the end of 2020 and replaced by speed boats.

The other old ferries are Pulau Kapas and Pulau Undan, which are currently in the process of being scrapped.

Pulau Paya is now docked at Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda and is expected to be turned into a restaurant, Pulau Angsa is set to be used for tourism purposes while Pulau Talang Talang is at a dry dock in Lumut.

The ferry terminals on the mainland and the island were upgraded and a fleet of four new modern ferries were brought in at a cost of RM100mil, and have been plying the channel since August 2023.— The Star/ANN