Terengganu Govt To Propose Revoking Licences Of Negligent Tourist Boat Operators

KUALA TERENGGANU, June 30 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu government will submit a proposal to the Marine Department to revoke or suspend the licences of tourist boat operators or skippers found to be involved in accidents due to negligence.

State Tourism, Culture, Environment and Climate Change Committee chairman Datuk Razali Idris said the stern action aims to serve as a lesson and reinforce the importance of ensuring tourist safety.

He said there are 628 licensed tourist boat operators in Terengganu, operating around resort islands such as Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Tenggol, Pulau Kapas, and Pulau Lang Tengah.

“In Terengganu, 70 per cent of the tourism sector is focused along the coast and islands. As such, we work closely with strategic partners like the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Marine Department, with whom we regularly hold engagement sessions to strengthen enforcement and related matters,” he said.

“Following the recent accident on Pulau Perhentian, which claimed three lives, we will submit a proposal to the Marine Department to revoke or suspend the licences of any boat operators or skippers found to be negligent. The decision to revoke or suspend will depend on the specifics of each case,” he said at a press conference at Wisma Darul Iman today.

Razali said the state government, together with other enforcement agencies, will increase on-site visits to provide tourism operators with clearer guidance on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing passengers and tourists.

He also said that boat operators are encouraged to provide safety briefings to passengers prior to departure.

"There have also been cases where tourists failed to wear life jackets. That’s why we’ve held numerous engagement sessions with relevant agencies and tourism operators to reinforce the importance of adhering to safety SOPs.

“Sometimes, the SOPs are in place, but they are not followed, leading to unfortunate incidents. In the recent boat capsizing case, we identified three serious violations by the operator: exceeding the passenger limit, failure to ensure life jackets were worn, and, most concerning, the use of prohibited substances,” he said.

In the 10.30 pm incident on Saturday, S. Arumugam, 40, his three-year-old daughter A. Sarrvihka, and a 10-year-old relative, V. Vennpani, tragically lost their lives. Two others were injured, one critically, while 10 passengers survived the tragedy.

All the boat passengers, aged between three and 40, were returning from Pulau Perhentian Kecil to Pulau Perhentian Besar after dinner when their boat was suddenly struck by large waves, causing it to capsize.

Yesterday, Besut district police chief Supt Azamuddin Ahmad@Abu disclosed that the boat skipper tested positive for drugs and had five prior records related to banned substances. He also said that based on the investigation, all of them were not wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.

-- BERNAMA