Ministry revokes licence of Labuan-Menumbok ferry service operator

LABUAN: The Ministry of Transport ( MOT) had issued a letter to revoke the licence of an operator of the LabuanMenumbok ferry service, it was learnt yesterday.

The letter stated that the MOT received notification from the Sabah Ports and Harbour Department on the court wind-up of Labuan Ferry Corporation Sdn Bhd and the Department of Insolvency subsequently confirmed that the wind-up took place on Feb 6, 2017.

The MOT also received a safety inspection report on Oct 2 from the Labuan Marine Department, on the MV Wawasan Perdana ferry operated by the company, which stated that it did not comply with the safety aspect requirements.

The ferry operator had provided the service for over a decade, initially operating two ferries – Wawasan Perdana and Warisan – but ceased using Warisan. Wawasan Perdana is also currently under repair.

With the revocation of the licence, the ferry service between Labuan and mainland Sabah is now handled by two operators – Juta Bonus through its only ferry Galaxy, and Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd through its three ferries, namely Kimanis 1, Putrajaya 2 and Goodwill Star.

Sabah Ports and Harbour Department director Capt Abel Ongkunik, who confirmed the revocation of the licence, said public notification through the media was important to prevent the illegal sale of LabuanMenumbok-Labuan ferry tickets by irresponsible parties in view of the festive season and school holidays.

LFC chairman Datuk Seri Peter Kong told Bernama his company would submit an appeal to the MOT for reinstatement of the operating licence.

“We will study the content of the letter before making any decision, but surely we are appealing against the MOT letter,” he said.

“Since we began operating the ferry, we have helped improve the connectivity from Labuan to mainland Sabah.

“We also managed to ensure that transportation of goods to the island ran smoothly.

“As such, we hope the MOT will look into our long service that not only we helped to improve connectivity but also ensured that the transportation of essential goods like raw materials to the island ran smoothly,” he said.

On the compliance with the safety aspects requirements, he said it could be improved once the repairs on the ferry were completed.

“All the while, we have complied with every single aspect of the safety requirement and, of course, there are things that have been unintentionally overlooked that we can improve upon,” he said. — Bernama