HE was seven months into the job when tragedy struck in 1988. The beams, steel and planks holding the Butterworth ferry platform collapsed before his very eyes.
The loss of the lives of 32 travellers and locals who were mainly pilgrims in town for the annual St Anne’s Feast in Bukit Mertajam and Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Festival on the island, along with the injury suffered by 1,700 people, would forever be etched in the memory of Datuk Syed Mohamad Aidid Syed Murtaza, who today is DRB-Hicom Bhd chairman, as he recalls the fateful day with great clarity and pain.
“There was no time to waste, but to think on our feet as we went about sending the injured to hospitals and returning the bodies of those who had perished to their families,” he said, adding that in the face of losing his own staff in the tragedy as well, the need to instil confidence among the Penang Port Commission (PPC) employees and the public on the safety of the organisation was priority for him.
In managing the crisis and its aftermath, Syed Aidid personally
engaged with families of those affected and took full responsibility for the tragedy as chairman of PPC by making a public apology.
“Although we had built the first Penang Bridge by then, people continued using the ferry services after the incident because we had managed to assure pedestrians and vehicle users that our services were safe again.
“(Then) prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former chief minister the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, and former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik were most supportive in helping us get back on our feet again and gave us free reign in handling and managing the crisis.”
While assuming full responsibility for all events leading to, during and after the crisis, Syed Aidid also had to face a Royal Commission of Inquiry which was established after the tragedy.
The commission, chaired by retired judge, the late Tan Sri Chang Ming Tat, came out with a 200-page report.
“I went by the maxim of, I was there before, during and after the tragedy and that I live to tell the truth,” he said, when asked how he went about the days ensuing the horrific accident.
“I still recall Dr Mahathir saying then that the tragedy had served as a good example of how all Malaysians came together to rescue one another,” Syed Aidid said, in reference to the collapse of the terminal and how the public at the scene jumped in to help those who were pinned under the fallen structure.
In the same vein, he felt that the twin tragedies which have befallen Malaysia Airlines this year with the disappearance of MH370 and the downing of MH17 over Ukraine have, to an extent, brought Malaysians together in the face of great sadness.
“As we continue to grieve for those whose lives have been lost, we must stay united in helping Malaysia Airlines soar again.
“I have full faith in the airline,” he said, and recalled a time when the national airline once came to aid Penang in its time of need.
“I will never forget how the then Malaysian Airline System (MAS) came to the rescue of the Penang International Marathon 1989 by stepping in as the title sponsor for the event when Cathay Pacific exited,” said Syed Aidid, who was then the president of the Penang Amateur Athletic Association.
“MAS not only agreed to fly in some 15 international runners invited for the race,” he said, “but also helped bear other related expenses.
“It was a moment of pride for us because our national airline and its famous wau kuching logo were partnering with us for five wonderful years in hosting an international and prestigious event.
“Throughout all of that and till now, the airline has proven its ability as an award-winning carrier with an equally capable crew.
“And it is precisely why at this time when the airline needs the support of all Malaysians that we should rally together in making MAS great again.
“In order to instil consumer confidence, the airline’s management and leadership must be strengthened and they must work hard in managing public perception of the organisation and its human capital.
“It’s time now for Malaysia Airlines to rise up and fly high again. This was once a great airline and together as Malaysians, we can make it great again.”
The injured getting help during the Butterworth ferry platform collapse in 1988.
Thirty-two people were killed, and 1,700 injured in the tragedy.
Most of the victims were pilgrims attending the St Anne’s Feast and Kuan Yin Festival.