Lee Kim Shin
MIRI (Dec 25): The Ministry of Transport is out to address the complaints from people in Lawas and Limbang districts about being deprived of the alternative passenger speedboat, or ‘bot tambang’, services.
Senadin assemblyman Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said this in response to the brouhaha over the ban of such service covering between Limbang and Lawas districts, effective Wednesday.
“We are not making life difficult hard for anyone, but safety is paramount as we want you to reach your destination safe and sound,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Those affected by the ban had accused enforcement agencies such as Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) and Marine Department of doing them a disservice.
They also said express boats were always fully booked on a daily basis.
The ‘bot tambang’ is popular among the local people to cross Brunei Bay, and it is also a cheaper alternative to the hassle of applying for a permit and the costly charge to travel through Brunei, where the borders are still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A one-way fare for a ‘bot tambang’ trip is RM50, and this service is relied upon by the local people during emergencies and when dealing with government or education matters in Limbang, the divisional administrative centre of the state’s northern region.
The ‘bot tambang’ service is frowned upon by the authorities, in that the operators are unlicensed unlike the express boat operations, which are regulated and the safety features such as on-board life jackets are compulsory.
In this regard, Lee said the ministry would investigate the issue and would act accordingly.
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