SELANGOR local councils are advised to assess ageing trees in their areas with certified arborists to prevent untoward incidents.
State youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Najwan Halimi said professional evaluations helped identify trees at risk of falling, prevent accidents and guide timely maintenance.
“Old or diseased trees must be removed if they cannot be saved or replanted.
“While mature trees should be preserved, public safety comes first,” he said after an event at Dewan Petals in Section 7, Shah Alam.
He was commenting on a tree-fall incident on Feb 16 along Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub in Section 7, injuring two people.
“I hope all local councils will learn from this incident,” said Najwan, who is Kota Anggerik assemblyman.
Following the incident, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Landscape Department director Majidah Md Ali said a certified arborist had been appointed to provide recommendations.
The arborist, she said, was reviewing the status of 264 trees.
“We have pruned 15 trees along Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub, all around 30 years old, which were planted when the road was laid.
“Upon inspection, we discovered the fallen tree had rotten roots,” she said after the swearing-in ceremony of Shah Alam’s new mayor Datuk Zabidah Safar at Wisma MBSA yesterday.
MBSA previously had said it had launched an emergency audit to inspect all mature trees in the affected area, including conducting detailed technical checks, root inspections and tree tagging, as well as compiling a report with mitigation recommendations.
