PUTRAJAYA: A special committee set up to monitor in detail the care of trees in the capital will hold its first meeting this month, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) said that though the inaugural meeting has been scheduled for this month, the date has yet to be decided.
“We will invite the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) to attend (the first meeting),” she told reporters after witnessing the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding and Supply Agreement of Renewable Energy (SARE) between Putrajaya Corporation and Tenaga Nasional Bhd here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Dr Zaliha said among the stakeholders in the special committee were non-governmental organisations, arborists and experts from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.
When asked about KPKT’s proposal on the need for local authorities (PBT) to have arborists in service to improve landscape management in each municipal area, Dr Zaliha said the proposal was well received among stakeholders.
She added that PBT in the Federal Territories expressed their desire to have arborists on staff as well as acquiring outside expertise.
On May 20, Dr Zaliha said a discussion related to the implementation and care of trees in Kuala Lumpur would be held with a special committee that has been established.
The formation of the special committee was following several tree falling incidents due to heavy rain and strong winds, including on May 7 which claimed a man’s life and damaged 17 vehicles and part of the monorail track in Jalan Sultan Ismail.
Other incidents happened on May 13 in which a fallen tree in Jalan Pinang caused a police vehicle, escorting the Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, to be damaged.
On May 25, toppled trees in several locations in Kuala Lumpur caused vehicles to be damaged and roads to be blocked.
