IRKED: Lebuhraya Pykett residents question why shady tree was cut down
GEORGE TOWN: LEBUHRAYA Pykett residents are up in arms after workers cut down a tree on a plot of land near their homes last weekend.
The residents were rudely awakened by the rumbling of chainsaws which contractors used to fell the tree around 4pm on Saturday, shattering the peace in the area.
They were shocked to discover that the tree being felled was a mature tree which had provided shade for the residents and students nearby.
The residents were in the dark whether the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) had granted permission for the tree cutting.
Peter Wong, 40, claimed he did not see any signages to inform the public about the work.
Wong said the felling of trees during the weekend was unacceptable. It also raised questions about the preservation of the trees that have been there for decades in the area.
"They are chopping down the tree on a Saturday and the contractors do not look like council workers," he said.
Wong added that the contractors had destroyed what was probably a century-old tree.
"Some of the trees have large girth and has given us shade for many years. It would be sad to see them go," he said.
When approached by Streets, the workers refused to reveal if they had been given permission to cut the old tree.
A security guard from a nearby primary school, however, said the trees were becoming a nuisance as their branches would fall on vehicles parked by the roadside.
He added that the shrubbery in the area had become a home to many snakes which often slithered into the school.
"We have seen so many cobras making their way into the school. Clearing up the shrubs will help stop the reptiles from coming here," he said.
When contacted, MPPP senior landscape architect Nor Rezan Sulaiman said the mature tree had developed a hollow trunk which may collapse on passing residents and motorists.
She said the tree, which had a girth of 0.8m, requires the council approval before it could be cut down.
"We have inspected the tree, and as per the landowner's observation, we feel that it should be brought down, so we have given permission to fell it," she said.
Nor Rezan said the permission was given to the landowner after the one-stop-centre committee had discussed the matter on Sept 4.
She said the landowner had also requested that the tree be felled during the weekend when there was less traffic and the nearby school closed.
It is learnt that the tree was in the compound of a mansion that was formerly owned by Thai rubber king Khaw Sim Bee.
He built his mansion decades ago and the building was abandoned for a long time after it fell into disrepair.
The land was sold to a developer in 2010.
Read more: Cutting of tree upsets residents - Northern - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/cutting-of-tree-upsets-residents-1.151112#ixzz28FO4FeMi
