Old trees in urban areas play a significant role not only in creating beautiful landscapes and green environments but also in maintaining the ecological balance of the surrounding area.
Trees that meet the criteria can also be considered under the Tree Preservation Order (PPP) by the local planning authority (PBPT) where a procedure is set to ensure the maintenance and protection of important trees in the context of a particular landscape or environment based on the provisions of Part VA of Act 172 referring to the law.
However, trees will be exempted and discouraged from being subjected to the PPP if they do not meet the established criteria.
In line with this, tree maintenance is crucial to achieving sustainable development aspirations and a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.
Nevertheless, there are safety risks associated with trees, especially mature trees, which may fall due to aging, structural weakness, or natural factors such as storms or heavy rain.
Incidents of falling trees causing injuries and fatalities, including those on Jalan Sultan Ismail in the capital city, demand that we take proactive measures in caring for mature trees that could pose a threat to public safety.
Therefore, in addition to maintenance, conservation and monitoring of trees should also be emphasized to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Poorly maintained mature trees can pose a serious threat to public safety and property damage.
New Guidelines for Monitoring Mature Trees
Public safety concerns are the basic guidelines on the maintenance of mature trees. The Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) efforts in providing new guidelines focusing on high-risk mature trees should be welcomed. The review of these guidelines should involve collaboration between Local Authorities (PBTs), landscape experts, and other relevant agencies.
The importance of the expertise of PBT staff such as arborists and landscape architects, finance, and technology is particularly crucial in inspecting, assessing, and monitoring the condition of trees, especially in public places.
When a tree is in a high-risk condition, mitigating steps such as root treatment, pruning, or felling should be held.
Increasing Public Awareness and Collaboration
Another action that might be taken is to increase public knowledge and cooperation in reporting potentially dangerous trees or urban landscape issues to local authorities.
This will assist to detect any concerns that are addressed quickly and efficiently in the future.
AUTHOR, DR. SYAZWANI SAHRIR, Senior Lecturer, Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He can be contacted via
This article is translated from the original Malay article. It is the author's personal view and does not necessarily represent the view or official position of RTM.