KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) cut down a tree at the children's playground at Jalan Batu Laut 2, Taman Desa Seputeh here to ensure public safety, especially of visitors in the area. .

DBKL in a statement today said the Khaya Senegalensis (mahagony) tree was found to be dead (dry without leaves) and action was taken to cut it down to prevent any untoward incidents because it was in a public area.

DBKL said the tree felling was done after receiving a complaint from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) about trees around Taman Seputeh and conducted an investigation into the matter on April 8.

"In this regard, instructions were issued to the contractor involved to carry out pruning work on three trees of the same type at the back of a TNB substation on April 10.

"On April 12, the contractor was present to continue the task of cutting down dead trees in the park area, but it was stopped by residents who placed a barrier in front of the lorry involved in the felling work," said the statement.

However, the work to cut down the tree was continued after DBKL officers came to the location to give an explanation.

One of the residents involved spread news of the incident on his social media on April 13 and an online media had reported about the matter on April 20.



-- BERNAMA