This was after the out-of-service “Pulau Pinang” ferry was found nearly submerged at a maintenance slipway over the weekend due to “several holes” on the 1,600-tonne barge, which also caused its engine room to be flooded.

The transport ministry said the ferry was at the slipway for repairs since November 2019 and had not been fixed since. The ferry was supposed to be leased to those interested in turning it into a museum, following the introduction of a new fleet of fast boat ferries that were introduced on Jan 1.

Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Tan Teik Cheng told FMT that “intense repairs” were carried out for the past two days under his personal supervision.

He said the ferry was afloat and operating again at about 9pm last night and will soon be taken to the Tanjung City Marina at Weld Quay on the island side.

“We will continue to check on the ferry periodically so that this does not happen again,” he said.

Tan also called for those interested to lease the ferry to submit their request for proposals to the PPC.

The 19-year-old vessel was found tipping over at the Bagan Dalam slipway, off the Perai River where it was moored. Netizens posted pictures of the half-sunk ferry on social media, with an activist saying it was an assault on Penang’s heritage.