Loh looking at some of the fallen branches in the playground at Sophea Residence.
RESIDENTS of Sophea Residence, Bandar Sri Damansara, Petaling Jaya want the authorities to take action over the many trees that have fallen or are overgrown and pose a safety hazard in the neighbourhood.
Sophea Residence Residents Association committee secretary SP Lee said several complaints had been lodged with Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) since the beginning of this year but little had been done.
He said MBPJ cleared some fallen trees from the roads a few days before StarMetro’s visit.
“However, this action has not completely resolved the issue because there are still many trees and branches remaining on the ground,” he said.
A tree leaning too close to a resident’s house.
A number of toppled trees and fallen branches were spotted along the sidewalks and within the playground in the area, and there was evidence of damaged fences as well.
Lee was also concerned that some trees were leaning dangerously close to houses.
“I’m worried that the trees will fall over and damage properties.”
He added that while some trees fell during a storm last month, a significant number toppled over even in the absence of rain or wind.
“We are concerned about the potential danger posed by these trees and would prefer not to wait until an accident occurs before the authorities take action,” said Lee.
Committee member Loh Chia Ping added that although they were willing to hire contractors to trim the trees, they did not have permission from the authorities to do so.
“There is a penalty involved if we take matters into our own hands,” he said.
Loh added that a resident living at the corner lot of Jalan Ara SD7/1D complained that branches of a nearby tree kept falling on his home and damaging his roof.
Another committee member, Ken Huu, said MBPJ refused to cut down some trees, claiming that they were planted by residents.
“These trees were not planted by the residents; they grew on their own,” he said.
A copy of the report made by residents to the Petaling Jaya mayor was sent to area councillor Suriase Gengiah.
He told StarMetro that he passed the report to MBPJ’s Landscape Department.
The department, he added, would take measures to trim and cut down trees that posed a hazard to residents.
