GEORGE TOWN, Oct 2 — The decommissioned iconic ferry, Pulau Pinang, will be towed across the Penang Strait from Bagan Dalam, Butterworth to Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) in its final journey before it is stationed permanently as the Penang Ferry Museum.

The iconic ferry that was half sunken back in 2021 in Bagan Dalam will be fully restored to be turned into a stationary museum by Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd.

The ferry will be towed from the Bagan Dalam Slipway to SPCT tomorrow afternoon where it will be temporarily docked at SPCT, according to a statement issued by the company today.

"The public and the media are invited to witness this historical moment as it will be the last ferry to cross the KTMB Swing Bridge after the closure of the Bagan Dalam Slipway,” the statement said.

Pulau Pinang was one of Penang’s fleet of ferries that plied the route between the island and Butterworth on the mainland.

The orange double-ended vessels that chugged across the Penang Strait used to be an important mode of transport for both passengers and vehicles to cross over to Butterworth on the mainland, and vice versa.

The ferry service in Penang was the oldest in the country, introduced by local entrepreneur, Quah Beng Kee, together with his brothers under the name, Beng Brothers back in 1894.

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

One ferry that transported vehicles continued to ply the route for motorcycles and bicycles until July 2023.

A fleet of four new modern ferries, at a cost of RM100 million by Penang Port Sdn Bhd, were introduced to ply the route from August 2023 onwards.

Pulau Pinang, which belonged to Penang Port Commission, was leased to Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd to be converted into the Penang Ferry Museum.

PPC chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin had previously said the ferry museum will be parked at Tanjung City Marina once completed.