New ferry service connects PD to Sumatra

A NEW ferry service from Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan to the Indonesian town of Bagan Siapi-Api was launched recently aimed at promoting the tourism and health industries.

Situated in the province of Rokan Hilir, Sumatra, Bagan Siapi-Api is a less than four-hour boat ride across the Malacca Straits.

Once a bustling fishing port, the township is home to a majority ethnic Chinese population who settled in the area in the late 1800s.

Curious onlookers: Bagan Siapi- Api residents gather at the jetty to watch the first ferry arrive from Port Dickson.

Ferry operator PD Marine Services Sdn Bhd chairman Yaacob Hussin said the new route would attract more visitors to the state.

“We also want to promote our medical industry as Port Dickson has been declared a wellness zone. They can also study here as there are several institutions of higher learning in Negri Sembilan.

“Some 30 visitors from Bagan Siapi-Api accompanied us back after our maiden trip there. They were quite happy with the reception they received after visiting some hospitals and colleges here.

Traditional: Children on their way to school. The trishaw is still an important mode of transport in Bagan Siapi-Api.

“Those who can afford better quality medical treatment often make the trip down to Singapore. Why not come here instead?” he said.

Yaacob also said that the opening of the new route would allow locals to visit this little Indonesian town that has quaint traditions.

“The Chinese community there have at least four annual festivals, the largest being the Go Cap Lak or bakar tongkang festival where a specially constructed fishing vessel is set on fire.

“The symbolic ritual attracts visitors from as far as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia,” he said.

Local favourite: The Datuk Rubiah market is where the townsfolk get their groceries.

Residents heading to Jakarta, who used to travel long hours to Pekan Baru to catch a flight, have an option to travel via Port Dickson and vice-versa for international tourists headed to Bagan Siapi-Api.

Bagan Siapi-Api mayor H. Annas Maamum said the authorities there would also intensify efforts to upgrade the town’s facilities and infrastructure available to accommodate more tourists.

“We have also embarked on projects to preserve the history of the area,” he said.

The town, which won an award for being one of the cleanest in the country, has an estimated population of about 40,000.

Neat low-rises that line the streets are not only home to the townsfolk but also to swallows, highly-prized for their nests.

Currently, the ferry service to Bagan Siapi-Api runs thrice weekly costing RM125 for a one-way trip and RM230 for a return journey.

source : www.thestar.com.my