PETALING JAYA: Erratic weather events fuelled by climate change are making life even harder for trees, which are at risk of being uprooted during freak thunderstorms or felled by humans out of safety concerns.

       However, experts said uprooted trees indicate a lack of focus on urban tree management.

       In Kuala Lumpur alone, 8,712 trees were felled last year following safety issues and complaints by residents about “old, unsafe or leaning trees” that were assessed based on safety reports.

       Former Penang Botanic Gardens curator Datuk Dr Saw Leng Guan said there were many towns and cities in Malaysia where roads and pavements were placed right at the edge of the tree trunk, thus weakening the roots.

       This causes the trees to topple over during storms and heavy winds, he said, adding that trees need the space to grow and thrive properly.

       “We often only look at the crowns of trees and do not pay enough attention to the rooting system.

       “There is a need to provide ample space for the roots to anchor the trees and for the trees to get enough nutrients and water to survive,” said Saw.

       Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said the country is seeing more intense storms with greater frequency, and the erratic weather may be occurring due to the climate crisis – but there are ways to protect old trees and treat them.

       She also noted that there is a Tree Preservation Order in the Town and Country Planning Act that outlines the protection of old trees and prohibits the felling of trees except for specific reasons, such as dead or dying trees, or those that pose an imminent danger.

       “There are provisions for a preservation order on trees that are old.

       “There are ways to protect them and treat them and the solution is not to cut them,” Meenakshi said.

       According to Section 35H in the Town and Country Planning Act, no person without written permission of the local planning authority shall fell a tree with girth exceeding 0.8m that is not subject to a tree preservation order unless the tree is being cut as it is dying or dead, to prevent imminent danger, or to comply with any written law.

       Any person who commits an offence in this regard is liable, on conviction, to a fine not more than RM10,000 or to imprisonment for a maximum of three months, or both.

       In December 2021, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, in a reply in Parliament, said 8,712 trees were felled by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) following safety issues and complaints by residents.

       The felling of trees involved those that were old, unsafe or leaning trees that were assessed based on safety reports by parties concerned, he added.