ALOR SETAR, Nov 22 — The Northern Region Malaysian Marine Department, with the cooperation of ferry operators, will reopen the Langkawi-Kuala Perlis ferry service beginning today.

The department in a statement today said that the move was in line with the government’s decision to end the conditional movement control order (CMCO) in Kedah, enabling travel between states not under the order.

For tomorrow (Sunday), the ferry service for the Langkawi-Kuala Perlis-Langkawi route will have a single trip in both directions, with the journey from Langkawi to Kuala Perlis at 10.30am and from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi at 5pm.

"The frequency for the ferry on this route will be increased to two return trips beginning Monday, Nov 23, at 10.30am and 5.30pm for the Langkawi to Kuala Perlis route and 10am and 5pm from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi,” the department said.

At the same time, beginning Monday, the ferry service from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi will be at 10am and 5pm, while trips from Langkawi to Kuala Kedah will be at 10am and 5pm.

The department explained that the implementation of new norms and standard operating procedures introduced at the passenger terminal and jetty still applied, and ferry operators must continue to enforce them to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"The department urges terminal and ferry users to adhere to all government orders and to comply with the new norms in all daily activities so that the Covid-19 chain of infection can be broken,” the statement read.

The department, together with ferry operators, had previously reduced the frequency of ferry services for the Langkawi-Kuala Perlis-Langkawi route to a single one-way trip while ferry services for the Langkawi-Kuala Kedah-Langkawi route was temporarily suspended following the implementation of the CMCO on Nov 9. — Bernama