SHAH ALAM, Feb 18 — State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi has told local authorities in Selangor to immediately trim mature trees amid the current inclement weather.
He said these agencies must monitor trees along main routes, including by enlisting expert services, to ensure optimum safety.
“If a tree can be saved, we save it. If it needs to be cut down, cut it down. In any way, we will ensure the (cut) trees are replaced with new plants to preserve environmental ecosystems.
“Branches seen at risk, immediately trim them so untoward incidents don’t recur. We don’t want there to be lives lost,” he said at the Kota Anggerik state constituency high tea event with mosque and surau management here yesterday.
Najwan added that in areas under the Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) jurisdiction, mature trees on Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub will be trimmed or cut down today.
Work started yesterday.
He said the kaya trees along the route are over 30 years old and are aged and deteriorating, and have been trimmed to prevent branches from breaking and falling on road users.
“Today (yesterday) another tree fell in the area. MBSA has closed two lanes on the route for trimming works, so we hope users of the road are patient,” Najwan explained.
Meanwhile, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof urged MBSA to better monitor trees aged over 40 in areas under its jurisdiction, saying maintenance should be improved to prevent untoward incidents.
He said the local authority immediately stationed enforcers along Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub after a fallen tree crushed a car and injured two on Monday.
“MBSA has temporarily closed the road to ensure monitoring, the moving of the fallen tree, and cleanup can be done in a planned, safe and controlled manner.
“Tens of trees at that location were trimmed and dead trees cut down according to technical needs in early February, before the incident.
“Though there are (such) periodic (efforts), I urge MBSA to prioritise and ramp up the monitoring and maintenance of trees that are over 40 years old,” Azli said in a statement yesterday after visiting victims of the Monday incident at Shah Alam Hospital.
In a 12.11pm incident, two Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) lecturers were injured when their vehicle was crushed by a fallen tree on Persiaran Tun Arshad Ayub in Section 7 here.
The victims, Nur Shahidah Ab Aziz, 39, and Shareena Fairuz Abdul Manaf, 42, who are chemical engineering lecturers at UiTM, were sent to Shah Alam Hospital for treatment.
Azli explained that the orthopaedic expert treating the victims had said they are stable and under medical watch for now.
Meanwhile, Najwan said the state is preparing for frequent heavy downpours, and has asked the Social Welfare Department (JKM) to be at the ready.
“(On Monday), there were flash floods in several areas. What’s concerning is that the waters are stagnant.
“But there have been no temporary relief centres open so far,” Najwan said.
