Putting safety of others first

Federal Reserve Unit personnel giving a helping hand to hikers to remove uprooted trees and branches that are blocking trails.

DUBBED the ‘Chainsaw Man’ by his hiker friends, Eric Lim sometimes goes hiking ‘armed’ with that power tool.

He is the hiker to turn to in Penang when trees fall across hiking trails and endanger people.

The 56-year-old, who is a tool and die maker by profession, learnt to use a chainsaw in his teens from a friend.

He is a member of the Happy Hikers team, which has 85 members, and together they make it their social responsibility to keep trails in the Penang Hill range unobstructed.

“Around two or three years ago, I started helping clear the trails from Penang City Park (formerly Youth Park).

Sathiasilan shovelling sand to clear the hiking trail at Penang City Park (formerly Youth Park).

“There was a fire on the hills a few years ago, which left many dead trees.

“They would topple whenever there was strong wind.

“Lately, with the heavy rain and storms, there have been more.

“I hike three to four times a week but only bring my chainsaw along if I am alerted about trees blocking the path,” he said.

Lim, who also joins the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival, said his fellow Happy Hikers would help him move the trees once he saws them down to smaller logs.

“The logs make it dangerous for hikers who have to find their way around them on narrow or steep trails.

“We want to make sure no one will get hurt when they are hiking on the hill,” said Lim, who lives in Taman Lip Sin.

He said operating the chainsaw was not difficult but one needed to correctly judge where trees would fall after being sawn.

“There is a technique. Before sawing, you must check which direction it will likely fall or else it could crush you,” he said.

Sometimes, Lim halves fallen logs cross-sectionally instead of quartering them because logs from fresh trees, which have yet to dry, can ‘jump’ or flip up on one end after being cut and hit the person.

On his nickname, Lim said he did not mind it because everyone in the Happy Hikers team had a nickname.

Lim looking at the tree trunks that he cut into logs to clear the hiking trails.

Fellow Happy Hiker member K. Sathiasilan, 58, who usually helps Lim clear the sawn logs said it gave them a sense of accomplishment whenever they cleared an obstructed trail.

“We climb up often and know the trails like the back of our hands. Fallen trees and small landslides tend to occur.

“I usually shovel the sand and help move the chopped logs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Unit also came to offer a helping hand to remove the uprooted trees and branches that were blocking the trails.