KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat has passed the Fee (Pengkalan Kubor Ferry) Bill 2025, marking a significant step in resolving a longstanding legal and technical issue that has persisted for more than two decades.
Tanjong Manis Member of Parliament, Yusuf Abd Wahab, described the Bill as not only reaffirming the legitimacy of ferry fee collections carried out since 1999, but also as a move to strengthen financial integrity and transparency in public revenue management.
“This legislation finally resolves a long-standing legal gap and provides retrospective legal protection for fees collected by the government at Pengkalan Kubor over the past 25 years,” he said when debating the Bill in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) lawmaker explained that the initial implementation of the fee collection was done under the Roads, Drains and Buildings Act 1974, starting in 1990.
However, following a legislative amendment in 1999 that placed such collections under the Fees Act 1941, no re-gazettement was carried out, rendering subsequent collections technically non-compliant with the law.
“This led to a legal vacuum where collections made between 1999 and 2024 were not fully aligned with statutory provisions.
“The Bill aims to rectify this oversight and prevent similar non-compliance in the future, reflecting responsible fiscal governance under the Madani Government,” he said.
Yusuf assured that the fee rates, which have remained reasonable since 1990, have only been adjusted to reflect current operational costs and do not burden the public.
“This is not about arbitrarily increasing charges, but rather about ensuring that fee collection is conducted in a lawful and accountable manner,” he emphasised.
He also disclosed that fee collections since 1999 have generated millions of ringgit.
However, the amount remains insufficient to fully cover the federal government’s annual operating costs for the ferry service, which is provided for the benefit of local communities.
Highlighting the crucial role of ferry transport in rural areas, Yusuf called for regular maintenance of ferry infrastructure to ensure the safety, reliability and timeliness of services, particularly for communities heavily reliant on river transport.
“As someone representing a constituency familiar with ferry services, I understand the importance of this infrastructure.
“We must ensure it remains safe, efficient and dependable,” he said.
