TUMPAT, Oct 8 — The wait of more than 34 years for ferry passengers in Sri Tanjong, Pengkalan Kubor, here, to use the service comfortably and safely has finally ended after the government agreed to provide RM9 million to replace the existing ferry under Budget 2023.

A passenger, Ibrahim Mamat, 63, said the Sri Tanjong ferry, which connects Malaysia and Thailand, has been used as a water transport for years and the ferry has never been replaced.

"I use this transport service to go back and forth between Pengkalan Kubor, Takbai, and Narathiwat in Thailand when I have important business to do.

"The ferry was never included in budgets, but when it was announced yesterday, I am really happy because the government is concerned about the plight of ferry passengers here," he said when met by Bernama at the Pengkalan Kubor ferry jetty today.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Mohamad Ibrahim 72, of Pengkalan Kubor, said the new ferry, which will be replaced later, will certainly provide comfort to passengers using the service.

"I board this ferry to visit my relatives in Thailand like Takbai, Patani and Hatyai because this ferry also has space for passengers to bring our vehicles," he said.

Rohani Abdul Rahman,38, a passenger from Takbai, said with a new ferry from Malaysia, it will increase the economic resources of the people of both countries.

For the past two months, the ferry from Tak Bai could not be used because it was damaged and we depended on the ferry in Malaysia," she said. — Bernama