SUBANG JAYA, Oct 9: Five days after chopping off a mango tree right down to its roots, the Subang Jaya City Council or Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MPSJ) has yet to clear the remains of the tree on the street of the residential area in USJ 2 where the tree stood.
Ironically, the neighbours, who may have complained to MPSJ about the tree’s roots pushing up the walls of the drain in front of their houses, have now started complaining about the mess left behind to the house owner who had planted the tree.
The tree’s fallen branches and leaves now cover the dustbin corners of two houses, while they are slightly blocking the entrances to both houses.
MPSJ said it had to cut the 30-year old tree down to its roots based on complains that its roots have damaged the walls of the drain and that this may prevent proper water flow.
While the owners of the house have accepted the fate of the tree, they are now questioning the attitude of MPSJ workers who were so keen to cut down the tree in a rush. They have not shown the same level of interest in clearing the “mess” they have made.
Meanwhile a staff at MPSJ, to a query on when the branches would be removed, said that they would usually follow a routine to clear any trees that had been fallen. When asked if the routine also applied to trees cut by MPSJ, the staff said they would remove it the next day.
It has been five days now, and the wait is still on for the removal of the chopped branches and leaves, leave alone the collateral damages that include several potted plants, and bushes of jasmine flowers and carnation that remain under the fallen tree. Only when the branches are removed, the fate of the potted plants and the flower bushes would be known.
Meanwhile, the USJ residents complaining about the MPSJ’s treatment of trees, are also questioning the enforcement of a rise in assessment fees, when this was supposed to be still on a proposal stage.
As many residents have opposed the move, there has been no clear answers from MPSJ on why they have already raised the fees without an engagement with the residents.
Meanwhile, huge trees cut in the Subang Jaya area are usually sent to mills for commercial purposes, another resident said. This cannot be confirmed.
— WE