Following deadly tree falls in the capital city, Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s order to chop down all high-risk trees has raised concerns among experts, who caution against a hasty, blanket approach and call for a more thorough assessment. – Alif Omar/Scoop pic, May 16, 2024
Private or public, can DBKL escape responsibility for uprooted trees? – Deborah Loh
Experts criticise officials' knee-jerk response, including order to cut down all high-risk trees, urging them to address underlying urban planning issues
WHAT makes a tree high-risk?
After recent storms in the capital city that uprooted and toppled several old trees, it seems the criteria to be categorised as high-risk would be age, judging from statements by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
On May 7, an uprooted tree more than half a century old on Jalan Sultan Ismail fell on a car, killing one, injuring another, and causing damage to several other vehicles.
Another storm on May 13 uprooted and toppled another old tree on Jalan Pinang and in several other parts of the city, damaging more vehicles.
Zaliha immediately ordered DBKL to chop down all high-risk trees. She also instructed DBKL to improve its tree management plan and have new guidelines ready by July.
Private or public, can DBKL escape responsibility for uprooted trees? – Deborah Loh
Experts criticise officials' knee-jerk response, including order to cut down all high-risk trees, urging them to address underlying urban planning issues
WHAT makes a tree high-risk?
After recent storms in the capital city that uprooted and toppled several old trees, it seems the criteria to be categorised as high-risk would be age, judging from statements by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
On May 7, an uprooted tree more than half a century old on Jalan Sultan Ismail fell on a car, killing one, injuring another, and causing damage to several other vehicles.
Another storm on May 13 uprooted and toppled another old tree on Jalan Pinang and in several other parts of the city, damaging more vehicles.
Zaliha immediately ordered DBKL to chop down all high-risk trees. She also instructed DBKL to improve its tree management plan and have new guidelines ready by July.
On May 7, an uprooted tree over half a century old on Jalan Sultan Ismail fell after a thunderstorm, causing chaos in the city, killing one, injuring another, and damaging several other vehicles. – Alif Omar/Scoop pic, May 16, 2024
There is something amiss, however, in these knee-jerk responses by officials to this latest example of the perennial Malaysian problem of poor maintenance.
While there is plenty of advice given by tree experts and community leaders urging Zaliha not to be hasty with a blanket, chop-them-all order, we must not neglect to scrutinise the deeper roots of the problem – the surrounding conditions that may have made trees planted in urban landscapes weak, sick and at risk of toppling over.
In other words – city planning and development approvals.
For example, take the tree that fell on Jalan Sultan Ismail, which killed a man inside his car. Quick to deflect criticism, Zaliha clarified that the tree belonged to a private property owner, Menara IMC, and not DBKL.
There is something amiss, however, in these knee-jerk responses by officials to this latest example of the perennial Malaysian problem of poor maintenance.
While there is plenty of advice given by tree experts and community leaders urging Zaliha not to be hasty with a blanket, chop-them-all order, we must not neglect to scrutinise the deeper roots of the problem – the surrounding conditions that may have made trees planted in urban landscapes weak, sick and at risk of toppling over.
In other words – city planning and development approvals.
For example, take the tree that fell on Jalan Sultan Ismail, which killed a man inside his car. Quick to deflect criticism, Zaliha clarified that the tree belonged to a private property owner, Menara IMC, and not DBKL.
Another storm on May 13 uprooted and toppled another old tree on Jalan Pinang and in several other parts of the city, causing additional vehicle damage and traffic gridlock in the city centre. – Bernama pic, May 16, 2024
However, would not DBKL have had a say in the landscaping of the sidewalk where the tree was located? Even if it is private property, wouldn’t DBKL need to know about and approve plans to cement the area around the tree?
A few days after the May 7 storm, The Sun reported an urban design expert commenting on the tree’s severed roots, which were chopped away to allow the building of a walkway. Without roots spread out in the soil to support it, it came as little surprise to another arborist that the tree toppled over in a storm.
Given the city’s ever-changing face, with new developments as properties change ownership and as old buildings make way for new projects, surely DBKL takes into account how exterior sidewalks and landscaping are planned and executed.
Just by observing Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscaping, one can see that trees are often placed alone, their roots hidden from view under cement walkways, and are located some distance apart from the next tree if they are planted in a row on a sidewalk.
However, would not DBKL have had a say in the landscaping of the sidewalk where the tree was located? Even if it is private property, wouldn’t DBKL need to know about and approve plans to cement the area around the tree?
A few days after the May 7 storm, The Sun reported an urban design expert commenting on the tree’s severed roots, which were chopped away to allow the building of a walkway. Without roots spread out in the soil to support it, it came as little surprise to another arborist that the tree toppled over in a storm.
Given the city’s ever-changing face, with new developments as properties change ownership and as old buildings make way for new projects, surely DBKL takes into account how exterior sidewalks and landscaping are planned and executed.
Just by observing Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscaping, one can see that trees are often placed alone, their roots hidden from view under cement walkways, and are located some distance apart from the next tree if they are planted in a row on a sidewalk.
Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s order for DBKL to cut down all high-risk trees has sparked concern among experts, who advise consulting with relevant researchers before proceeding. – Azim Rahman/Scoop file pic, May 16, 2024
As one tree expert has pointed out, a lonely tree in an urban area requires human intervention to help it resist disease and maintain good health.
“Unlike in the forest, where they are living with their population, (a tree) would need good immunity and resistance when living alone in an urban area,” Universiti Putra Malaysia forestry and environment faculty deputy dean Nazre Saleh told Scoop.
Trees in urban areas can also suffer root damage when their surface roots are covered under thick cement, depriving them of breathing space in the soil and causing a lack of proper drainage, Malaysian Nature Society executive director Shanmugaraj Subramaniam has also pointed out.
Who allows this to happen? Does a project developer landscape the exterior of a building with trees, guided by advice from arborists? Is DBKL part of this approval process?
It’s time these questions are asked as new projects spring up all over the place.
As custodian of the city’s physical spaces, planning and services, the defence that a tree growing out of a public sidewalk by a public road is private property and therefore not under DBKL’s responsibility, cannot hold.
Neither can DBKL’s claims of wanting to make Kuala Lumpur a green and low-carbon or carbon neutral city stand, notwithstanding revised tree-management guidelines, if it chops down all old trees and plants new ones, but does not ensure developers landscape their building exteriors according to best practices. – May 16, 2024
Deborah Loh is a news editor at Scoop
As one tree expert has pointed out, a lonely tree in an urban area requires human intervention to help it resist disease and maintain good health.
“Unlike in the forest, where they are living with their population, (a tree) would need good immunity and resistance when living alone in an urban area,” Universiti Putra Malaysia forestry and environment faculty deputy dean Nazre Saleh told Scoop.
Trees in urban areas can also suffer root damage when their surface roots are covered under thick cement, depriving them of breathing space in the soil and causing a lack of proper drainage, Malaysian Nature Society executive director Shanmugaraj Subramaniam has also pointed out.
Who allows this to happen? Does a project developer landscape the exterior of a building with trees, guided by advice from arborists? Is DBKL part of this approval process?
It’s time these questions are asked as new projects spring up all over the place.
As custodian of the city’s physical spaces, planning and services, the defence that a tree growing out of a public sidewalk by a public road is private property and therefore not under DBKL’s responsibility, cannot hold.
Neither can DBKL’s claims of wanting to make Kuala Lumpur a green and low-carbon or carbon neutral city stand, notwithstanding revised tree-management guidelines, if it chops down all old trees and plants new ones, but does not ensure developers landscape their building exteriors according to best practices. – May 16, 2024
Deborah Loh is a news editor at Scoop
This blurry permanent head damaged minister has been a consistent knee-jerk & brainless statement announcer!
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