GEORGE TOWN: A century-old tree along Jalan Batu Gantung, outside the Penang Turf Club, recently came crashing down after it was believed to have been weakened by termite infestation, damaging two houses.
Following the incident, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has agreed to compensate the affected homeowners for their losses and bear the cost of repairs.
However, as two other century-old trees remain in the area, residents fear a repeat of the incident.
They are urging the authorities to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of the trees and take appropriate measures to safeguard the lives and property of nearby residents.
Residents also called on the council to make its tree inspection reports public, saying they had repeatedly complained about termite infestation in the trees long before Thursday's incident.
The tree, identified by MBPP as a 130-year-old Angsana tree (Pterocarpus indicus), fell during a storm between 7.15pm and 9pm on Thursday (July 2), damaging the compounds of two houses and three cars. No one was injured.
MBPP said the tree, about 25m tall with a girth of 9.8m, had been inspected in April and was found to be in good condition.
A visit to the site on Saturday (July 4) found that the fallen trunk had yet to be fully removed, while damaged roofing, broken branches and debris remained scattered around one of the affected homes.
A homeowner's daughter, Parveen, 49, claimed the family had repeatedly alerted MBPP to termite infestation in the tree but said only branch pruning was carried out.
She questioned the council's assessment that the tree had been healthy and urged it to make its arborist's report public.
"I understand these trees are part of our heritage, but they must be properly maintained and inspected regularly," she said.
Parveen added that while MBPP agreed to compensate the family, they expected quality repair works and wanted the council to take full responsibility for the damage.
A nearby elderly care centre also narrowly escaped being hit when the tree fell.
Caring Retirement Home supervisor, S. Gayathri, 36, said complaints about termite infestation had been made even before the centre began operating there about seven years ago.
She said large branches frequently fell during strong winds and the tree, although appearing healthy externally, had apparently been hollowed out by termites.
Resident Datuk Chan Swee Teik, whose house is fronted by one of the two remaining century-old Angsana trees, said he had spent RM2,000 on termite treatment when he moved into the area 10 years ago and continues to pay about RM400 annually for inspections and treatment.
He said residents were now worried the remaining trees could also collapse and urged MBPP to conduct thorough internal assessments instead of relying solely on external inspections.
"We want the council to ensure these trees are structurally safe to protect lives and property," he said.
