THE Federal Territories Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) must inspect the large and old trees in urban areas regularly and meticulously, identify high-risk areas and undertake trimming exercises to prevent the recent uprooted tree incident from happening again, said MCA.
Its vice president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng was referring to the tragedy on Tuesday (May 7) where an uprooted tree on Jalan Sultan Ismail had smashed into the KL Monorail track, damaged several cars and killed a man while injuring two others.
Strong winds and heavy rain at noon following a thunderstorm in Kuala Lumpur had caused the tree to fall.
“This is not the first time such an incident has happened, and unfortunately, it continues to recur, suggesting that the authorities have not learned from past experiences,” Wee said in a statement.
“As the MCA Federal Territories State Liaison Committee Chairman, I urge the Federal Territories Ministry and DBKL to conduct a review on this matter.”
Wee said the authorities should promptly inspect high-risk areas in the city, especially trees and slopes along roads to ensure that the branches on the trees in these areas are regularly trimmed and receive proper maintenance.
As for slopes, this is to prevent severe landslides during torrential downpours.
“Monitoring of these trees need to be enhanced by the authorities to ensure that the health of trees is assessed promptly to prevent a repeat of similar tragedies,” he remarked.
“Additionally, the authorities should establish a rapid response hotline so that citizens can report issues related to tree health or safety. Once a complaint is received, trimming teams should be dispatched immediately.
“We cannot allow such incidents to recur. The lives of our people are paramount, and we must take effective measures to ensure their safety.” – May 9, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
