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Continue limiting roadside tree heights, Bukit Assek rep urges SMC

Posted on 09 Apr 2023
Source of News: The Borneo Post (Peter Boon)
Photo taken on March 20, 2021, showing tree trimming works in progress along Jalan Tuanku Osman, Sibu. – Photo by Peter Boon
Photo taken on March 20, 2021, showing tree trimming works in progress along Jalan Tuanku Osman, Sibu. – Photo by Peter Boon

SIBU (April 9): Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng is urging the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) to continue the exercise of limiting the height of trees along roadsides to safeguard road users and pedestrians.

He said this was important especially in the wake of the recent strong winds which uprooted trees.

“I would like to urge our council to continue with our project (which was initiated) few years ago to limit the height of trees along the roadside.

“I remember a few years ago when I was the SMC Building Control and Town Beautification Standing Committee chairman, we trimmed the trees at Jalan Tuanku Osman here to limit their height.

“Safety of the public is the priority. This time, the strong wind had uprooted trees and in addition to falling branches, posed dangers to road users. But if you look along Jalan Tunku Osman and Maybank (Jalan Kampung Nyabor) areas, nothing happened even though there are big trees (as they had been trimmed previously),” he said.

Chieng recalled that back then, many people had misunderstood and thought he was chopping those trees but instead was limiting their height by trimming them.

“If a tree grows too tall, the branches would be very long and could break easily when there is a strong gust of wind.

“Overseas cities and councils practise this policy of limiting the theight of trees, so I think our council can also adopt this and I believe there are still a lot of big trees by the roadside. This is time for us to do this,” he said.