NINETY high-risk trees in the federal capital will be cut down by early July.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the tree-felling operation was already under way.

The trees were recommended for felling because of the risk of uprooting and threat to public safety.

In a statement on Facebook, Dr Zaliha said 240 more trees were currently being assessed for safety. This process is expected to conclude by early August.

She is the chairman of the task force committee on high-risk tree management to foster collaboration with the private sector in research, knowledge, technology, and expertise in urban tree management in Kuala Lumpur.

The committee is made up of representatives of Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysian Society of Arborists, Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia, Federal Territories Department, Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, National Landscape Department, police, and Fire and Rescue Department.

“The task force will be expanded to include environmental non-governmental organisations,” she added.

Dr Zaliha said the task force will explore the potential for establishing a green area trust fund to encourage public-private partnerships through a whole-of-nation approach to enhance green landscape competence while maintaining the green area ratio in Kuala Lumpur as targeted in the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040.

“I have also directed the task force to examine the tree replacement plan with a focus on the programme to plant a million trees in Kuala Lumpur, with attention to species, planting space, and root depth,” she said. – June 26, 2024.