The raintree is one of 20 trees planted in 1887 to commemorate the birthday of the English queen. It is the only one left now, theSundaily reported.

The average life span of a Samanea saman tree is 80 to 100 years.

Garden curator Saw Seng Guan said scans by the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) found more than half the trunk at the bottom to be hollow.

He said because of its heritage value, he was trying to keep a little part of it.

“We need to study what is inside the timber.

“If it can still be salvaged, then we will keep that part.”

Saw, a former FRIM biodiversity director, took Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on an hour-long hike of the gardens as part of a working visit today.

Locals call this type of tree “pokok pukul lima” (five o’clock tree) as the leaves close before sunset and open just after sunrise.

The news portal said the tree was once 18.5m tall with a 24.4m wide crown.

Last year, some of its branches were chopped off for fear the dead branches would fall on visitors.

Only the trunk and a few thicker branches can be seen now.