FALLEN TREES: SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO HOLD FIRST MEETING THIS MONTH - DR ZALIHA

PUTRAJAYA, June 4 (Bernama) -- A special committee set up to monitor in detail the care of trees in the capital will hold its first meeting this month.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said 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 the media after witnessing the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and Supply Agreement of Renewable Energy (SARE) between Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) here today.

Dr Zaliha said among the stakeholders in the special committee were non-governmental organisations (NGOs), arborists (woody plant experts) and experts from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).

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 but PBTs in the Federal Territories would like to have arborists as well as outside expertise.

On May 20, Dr Zaliha was reported to have said that a discussion related to the implementation and care of trees in Kuala Lumpur will be held soon 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 Yusof, to be damaged; and on May 25 involving toppled trees in several locations in Kuala Lumpur which caused vehicles to be damaged and roads to be blocked.

-- BERNAMA