Making way for the future: The 60-year-old wooden jetty has seen better days. Locals hope the new jetty will draw in more visitors to one of Penang’s most picturesque spots. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
BALIK PULAU: It will be a bittersweet farewell from locals and boat commuters here in Teluk Bahang as their 60-year-old wooden jetty is replaced with a concrete one.
Built before Malaysia was formed, the planks, beams and posts of the 220m wooden jetty had been replaced time and again, but suitable hardwood timber that can withstand seawater is getting hard to find.
By Oct 3, this jetty will be demolished, and construction of a standard, modern-day concrete one will begin.
School teacher Yusoff Hussain, 54, said he used to marvel at how the wooden jetty held up against the sea and sun.
“I used to bring students here to do their field work and for picnics.
“It was not only for fishermen. Ordinary Penangites would come at sunset and even at night to walk along the jetty just for the joy of it,” he recalled.
Yusoff said he is not aware of such a wooden jetty existing anywhere else in Malaysia, and although it is sad to see a piece of Teluk Bahang history erased, he agreed that it is necessary for a proper and safer jetty.
“It is good to see the authorities respond to the needs of the community by building a concrete jetty,” he said.
A boatman who only wanted to be identified as Salim said he is looking forward to a modern jetty as an ecotourism plus point, on top of being one of Penang’s most Instagrammable spots.
“We bring tourists out to fish and to visit Pantai Kerachut and Monkey Beach.
“In the past, when storms and rough seas damaged the jetty, tourists were afraid to walk on it, so having a new jetty would be wonderful,” he said.
Tour guide Suraya Maulana, 54, welcomed the construction of the new jetty.
“The old jetty is unique, but it requires repeated maintenance because sometimes we cannot even buy planks made from the right type of wood,” she said.
A 1.5km boat ride away from the jetty is Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies.
Centre director Prof Datuk Dr Aileen Tan shared the pang of nostalgia with the locals.
“It is hard to let go of the classic wooden jetty, but for the sake of public safety, a new jetty is a must,” she said.
She said the old jetty is a rustic beauty, and thousands of couples had taken wedding photos there over the decades.
Prof Tan said a meeting between Penang National Park officials and Teluk Bahang boat operators will be conducted to work out the system for the berthing of boats on the new jetty.
Penang National Park officer Tan Poai Ean said the construction of the new public jetty will take 18 months and cost about RM4.3mil.
“The jetty will be a proper concrete jetty and will be safer for the public,” she said.
Funds for the new jetty were approved by Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik when he was deputy tourism, culture and arts minister during the Pakatan Harapan government before 2020.
