PANGKOR, Sept 15 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today began his maiden working visit to Pangkor Island by touring the Pangkor Island Passenger Ferry Terminal, the main jetty on the duty-free island for ferries to and from the mainland.
He arrived on the island at about 9.30am and was given a briefing by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu on, among others, plans to upgrade the terminal which will be a focus of the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) 2021-2025 of the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) that covers Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak.
Besides the menteris besar of Perlis, Kedah and Perak and chief minister of Penang, others present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed; Finance Minister Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz; Pangkor state assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John.
Muhyiddin, as part of his day-long visit, is scheduled to chair the 23rd meeting of the NCIA that will discuss the NCER SDP 2021-2025.
Meanwhile, Jebasingam said the proposal to upgrade the terminal includes making available an integrated transportation system and an immigration, customs and quarantine (CIQ) complex as well as expanding the jetty berthing structure to double the capacity to handle six ferries.
Zambry, when approached by reporters, said the upgrading has to be expedited to cater to the increasing number of tourists, reaching 30,000 people a day, especially during the holiday seasons.
“This also includes the jetty at Sungai Pinang Kecil for the use of the islanders and the cargo jetty handling goods,” he said.
— Bernama
