Serial No: IAH001
Title: Captain
After I retired, sometimes I would take a ferry ride just to enjoy the seabreeze and view of the Penang Channel.
Zainul Abidin bin Abu Bakar, born 1931
Home: Bagan Dalam, Butterworth
My family have settled in Kampung Sg. Nyiur at Butterworth for long, I am the third generation. Now we have the fifth generation—my grandchildren staying here. Today this area as an electoral constituency was named Bagan Dalam. But in the past, the only name used was Butterworth referring to a larger area.
When I was a child, I really admired those gigantic cargo ships, and I dreamt of becoming a ship captain one day. My first job was as a technician at the dockyard where I learned to repair ships. Those days, most of the people here worked at the dock. Later, I got a job at the Marine Department Malaysia where I continued to serve for over 30 years until retirement. Every day I used the ferry to cross the Channel between the mainland and Penang Island. I was in the anti-smuggling unit and my main role was to pilot a patrol boat in regular operations along the Channel. So in a way, I also fulfilled my dream of being a ship captain (laugh). During that period, the Penang Channel has become an indispensable part of my life. After I retired, sometimes I would take a ferry ride just to enjoy the seabreeze and view. At my age now, I still go swimming regularly, still can’t leave the water (laugh).
I Am Home 