Tawau Ferry Terminal

Tawau Ferry Terminal
Wharf for express passenger boats to Nunukan and Tarakan in Indonesian Borneo.

The New Ferry Terminal of Tawau
(That include Customs, Immigrations and Quarantine - CIQ)

Travellers using the present Passenger Ferry Terminal to and from Indonesia want the authorities to speed up the construction of a proper and safe ferry terminal because the Indonesians have completed theirs at Nunukan.

Tawau's new Ferry Terminal and Customs, Immigrations and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex on a four-acre site near Tawau port is beset with a land problem. The proposed land is owned by a private company.

This proposed RM25 million newExpress Ferry Terminal is under Sabah Port and Harbor Department's jurisdiction, as SPA is responsible for the necessary infrastructures and facilities.

This Rm25 millions 10-month project would involve two phases :

Phase 1 : the ferry terminal and CIQ complex

Phase 2 : security installation including closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs).

Both Malaysian and Indonesian travelers criticized the Malaysian authorities for delaying on the said project because the conditions at the present terminal in Tawau is hazardous. Other then dirty the place is also smelly because the location is just beside the wet fish market.

The new Tawau ferry terminal, when completed, would be able to accommodate up to six ferries at one time.

As for Nunukan terminal in the Indonesia side the Indonesian ferry terminal is completed for use in 2010.

This new Nunukan terminal would cater exclusively for passengers. The old one is converted for handling cargo.

Ferry links Tawau - East Kalimantan

There is no air link between Tawau and the Kalimantan region

Ferry service is vital link between Tawau and Kalimantan of Indonesia.
The ferry helps in the economics of residents of Tawau, Sungai Nyamuk, Nunukan and Tarakan. At the same time contributes to cement social and cultural ties between Malaysians and Indonesians.

Workers from Indonesia who work in various sectors in Sabah come to Tawau through Tarakan and Nunukan.

There are 14 ferries at the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) complex which provide services between Tawau and three destinations in East Kalimantan.

Tawau CIQ complex needs to be upgraded as it was always overcrowded.

All ferries, whether registered in Malaysia or Indonesia, have different passenger capacity depending on the size of the ferry, but on the average it was 100 to 158 passengers.

The express boats are equipped with safety equipment, there is air-conditioning and video games for passenger comfort.

The future of the Tawau-Kalimantan ferry service is bright with the support of tourist industry.

The draw of Tawau to people from the neighboring country is shopping. Tawau has a very high potential as a tourist destination, especially for shopping. People from Sungai Nyamuk come to Tawau every day.

Ferry Services between Tawau (Malaysia) and Kalimantan Region (Indonesia)

If you are coming through Tarakan and Nunukan Indonesia, ferry services are available. There are 9 daily ferry services from Nunukan which will take approximately about 1 hour journey and 2 ferry services from Tarakan which will take about 3 hours. These ferry services are chargeable at reasonable price.

No less than 2,000 people, both Malaysians and Indonesians, used the Tawau terminal every day.

There are ferry connections from Tawau to Nunukan and Tarakan in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The fare to Nunukan is RM65 for a one-way trip that takes about 1 hour.

The fare to Tarakan is RM140 for a three-hour journey.

Starting June 2009, the Consortium of Tawau Ferry Companies has raised the fare from Tawau to Nunukan from RM40 to RM65.

Tawau to Tarakan fare increased from RM100 to RM140.

The consortium had to raise the fare to meet rising operational costs due to the hike in diesel price.

There are 9 ferries plying the Tawau-Nunukan route daily with another ferry for the Tawau-Tarakan route.

1,000 over passengers use the Tawau-Nunukan ferry service daily.

The express boats were built by ship builders in Sibu around 2002.

Call for proper Tawau ferry terminal

Published on: Saturday, January 30, 2010

Tawau:

"There have been some improvements with a new toilet and repairs on the jetty here but that's about all. The bottom line is that it is very unsafe," said Abdul Malik, a Malaysian palm oil mill manager who commutes daily to his workplace in Nunukan.

"Let's not wait until somebody falls into the sea before action is taken.

We cannot afford anymore negative publicity in the Indonesian media in the event of a tragedy due to indifference on our part," said Abdul Malik, 36, who works for a subsidiary of the Malaysia-based Fima Corporation.

He said it was unfair to subject the Indonesian workers to such danger, bearing in mind that a RM5 fee is also charged per traveller.

"Accepting the money must come with a sense of responsibility for the safety of the passengers."

"Ideally there should also be separate platforms for passengers and cargo instead of now where both people and cargo risk falling into the sea if they miss their footing between the jetty and the vessel," he said.

Abdul Malik's colleague echoed similar views, saying it was hard to understand why the Malaysian authorities are taking such a long time to address this urgent problem.

"You only need to take a look at the other jetties built in the peninsula like in Tioman and Langkawi which are proper, safe and better managed.

"In Tawau we are talking about an international disembarkation point, even though these Indonesians may not be tourists but workers whose safety warrants no less attention," said Suwardi bin Mistor, the Manager of PT Nunukan Jaya Lestari.

Customs Supervisor Julardi Haji Balardi confirmed that at least 2,000 passengers use the facility daily to get to Nunukan and vice versa, with the crowd being larger when a bigger vessel docks and on festive occasions like Hari Raya.

He said no less than 13 ferries call at the terminal daily and the situation can be chaotic when all do so at one go.

"Despite having a scanning machine, it is difficult for us to cope when there is a large crowd waiting in the holding area," he said.

He agreed that the terminal needs immediate improvement, especially on passenger safety.

Indonesian Consul in Sabah, Abas Basori, said the facilities at the port here should be developed in line with the improvements made in Nunukan where a new terminal was completed and would be ready for use soon.

He said the new one over there is meant for passengers only while the existing one will be for cargo.

"The Immigration handling at the port here must also improve if smuggling of goods and entry of illegal immigrants are to be effectively tackled," he said.

An Immigration personnel declined comment on the status of progress on the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex that was announced last year, saying any questions on the matter should be addressed to the headquarters.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh, who led a team of journalists on a study tour of the Kalimantan region, which included visiting the new Indonesian terminal in Nunukan said "it seems the Indonesians are more serious unlike us."

"Their new terminal is ready for use but we have yet to see any work being started on the CIQ complex.

"The condition at this terminal is a disgrace where safety is concerned.

It is inhuman to treat our Indonesian brothers and sisters this way.

They risk their safety when coming to Sabah to contribute to our economy," he said.

"If only the place is properly done up, there will be more efficient handling of cargo and passengers with even up to three ferries being able to dock simultaneously and a drastic reduction on time wastage," he added.