RESIDENTS in Shah Alam, Selangor, want quarterly tree audits carried out to reduce risks of falling branches and trees toppling in rainstorms.
“This would be a proactive measure as poor maintenance and climate change increase threats to public safety and property,” said Bukit Bandaraya Residents Association (BBRA) Section U11 chairman Hasnor Mohd Jan.
He said Bukit Bandaraya has significant tree cover and there had been incidents of uprooted trees and branches breaking during thunderstorms.
“Our members want Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) to adopt quarterly inspections that involve arborist assessments, to mitigate risks of falling branches and trees.
“Residents want frequent audits to assess the safety of old, diseased or potentially unstable trees,” said Hasnor.
He added that most trees in the neighbourhood were about 25 years old.
On Feb 16, two women were injured when a tree fell onto the MPV they were travelling in on Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub in Section 7, Shah Alam.
The lecturers from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) were treated at Hospital Shah Alam.
One of them, Dr Nur Shahidah Abd Aziz, when met at her house in Bukit Bandaraya, agreed that quarterly tree audits were needed.
“Trees provide shade and reduce urban heat, but older, poorly maintained trees or those with damaged roots often fail and this is where MBSA’s arborists need to do proactive checks,” she told StarMetro.
Her husband Faizal Shariff said certified arborists must work with BBRA to initiate tree audits and conduct mapping or tagging of high-risk trees.
Faizal, a horticulturist, said tree assessments needed to be comprehensive and transparent to prevent indiscriminate felling while ensuring public safety.
MBSA councillor Vincent Chow, who is in charge of Bukit Bandaraya, also championed the need for quarterly audits.
“Proactive measures to mitigate the risks of tree failure, particularly in areas prone to thunderstorms, are crucial.
“Annual inspections are standard but high-risk areas may necessitate more frequent assessments to identify deteriorating health, rot or structural tree defects,” said Chow.
MBSA deputy mayor Safriah Md Adzhar said constructive suggestions from Bukit Bandaraya residents would be discussed with the city council’s arborists.
“MBSA’s Landscape Department has identified 1,237 at-risk trees around Shah Alam, along with proposed preventive actions to be implemented.
“Most have already been addressed through methods such as pruning, branch thinning, felling or replanting,” she said.
