Its deputy minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said that currently, only 89 out of the total 156 local authorities have their own landscape departments or units dedicated to ensuring continuous tree management and maintenance work.
She said that for those without a specific landscape unit, this responsibility is handled by the relevant technical units within the local authority.
“Of these 89 local councils, only 18 officers from 11 local authorities are certified arborists or tree specialists and are still actively serving.
“To strengthen tree management and maintenance in urban areas across the country, the ministry strongly urges every local authority to have at least one arborist by 2030,” she told the Dewan Rakyat.
Aiman Athirah was responding to Shamsulkahar Deli (BN-Jempol), who asked about the ministry’s plan to improve landscape management in urban areas to reduce the frequency of accidents involving trees, given the shortage of certified arborists in the country.
She said efforts undertaken include identifying aged trees that are at risk of falling as well as the issuance of 10 guidelines and manuals on tree management for the reference of local authorities.
She added that local authority officers are given training on the matter, including theoretical and hands-on training involving various aspects, including planting, management and maintenance of trees based on established arboriculture and horticulture practices.
Aiman Athirah said the national landscape department has also conducted training on tree management, both physically and online, to local authority officers via annual seminars.
“The ministry, through the landscape department and in cooperation with local authorities, is taking careful measures to maintain trees in urban areas including ensuring strict compliance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1976,” she added.
In May, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) identified 28 trees as “high-risk” and slated for felling following an incident where a large tree came crashing down at Jalan Sultan Ismail, killing one man and injuring two others.
Several other incidents of falling trees followed, the latest involving a 33-year-old woman who escaped unharmed last month after a tree fell on her car in Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya, after a heavy rain.