THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has no choice but to fell rotting trees along public stretches due to the danger they pose.
Council president and George Town Lord Mayor Datuk Anthony Rajendran said that the majority of the trees are rotted and were on the brink of collapsing.
He said he was forced to direct tree felling following a series of incidents, including some trees which fell and injured passers-by.
In a recent incident at a tourism site, a huge tree killed two Chinese tourists when it fell, crushing the car they were in.
MBPP has scheduled urgent inspections and removal of high-risk or hollow trees along routes including Jalan Macalister, Jalan Burma, Jalan Kelawai, Jalan Utama, Jalan Perak, and Jalan York.
Out of 179 trees approved for removal in 2026, 148 had already been cut down.
Overall, MBPP upkeeps nearly 14,000 roadside trees with an annual allocation of RM 4.3 million to maintain them.
MBPP also uses satellite-based remote sensing and AI-assisted tracking (reporting up to 94% accuracy) alongside physical checks by certified arborists and the Malaysian Engineers Institute.
Trees that cannot be saved are cut down, with a policy of replanting five trees for every one felled, said Rajendran.
He also said that MBPP plans to offer a public viewing of how the trees rot, and many trees in Penang have outlived their lifespan.
For some species, their roots also become entangled with the underground utilities, and there is no space for them to grow anymore, he clarified.
Meanwhile, the Penang Ratepayers Association has scheduled a public briefing with Rajendran on Saturday over the worsening congestion.
With the Mutiara Light Rail Transit project underway at a construction pace, which is scheduled to last beyond five years and the building of three new highways, Penang is now clogged with roadworks.
The Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway is also experiencing heavy roadworks, worsening the congestion. - October 13, 2026.