Langkawi ferry passengers, crew squabble after eight-hour delay

-The Star filepic

LANGKAWI: An altercation ensued between passengers and crew at Langkawi ferry terminal on Wednesday (Feb 2) night after the ferry was delayed leaving the jetty to Kuala Perlis.

Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd manager Captain Baharin Baharom said the incident happened at about 10pm after passengers bound for Kuala Perlis had to wait over eight hours at the jetty.

He said the ferry they were supposed to board in the afternoon broke down at 2.30pm, leaving 423 passengers waiting at the jetty.

"When the management decided to change the ferry, low tide was already approaching," he said when contacted on Thursday (Feb 3).

Baharin said the decision to delay the ferry's departure during low tide was made to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew.

The management decided to wait until the water level was safe for departure and all 423 passengers boarded at about 10pm.

On Wednesday, several video clips went viral on social media showing heated arguments between passengers and ferry crew at the terminal in Kuah.

In the videos, passengers were heard saying they had been waiting for more than eight hours to board the ferry to Kuala Perlis.