Almost everyone knows that trees and other living plants are valuable. They beautify our surroundings, purify our air, act as sound and wind barriers, manufacture precious oxygen, and help us save energy through its cooling shade.

Unfortunately, living in a country where trees are bountiful, it's easy to take the value of trees for granted. This is evident in the recent tree-cutting activity at the Beranang Industrial area, near Kajang. (Warning: To tree lovers who are weak at heart, do not read on!)

There used to be some really nice, tall shady trees all along the road in front of the factory that I work at. The trees provided a perfect shade for the car park area and the greenery had always been a pleasant sight to behold. But it's all gone now; the trees were chopped at the bases, reducing the trunks to less than 10 inch of stumps (see pictures).

Reasons for getting rid of trees vary from calls for safety to leaf litter. However, in any situation, mature trees should only be pruned to remove dead branches or when the branches are a threat to people's safety and property. Here, the whole tree was cut down, exposing us to the sun's glare and heat previously filtered by the tree.

Municipal councilors, engineers, road planners and contractors are often not trained in the importance of trees, so it comes as no surprise when they make decisions that do not take into account tree maintenance. State authorities should maintain the trees instead of destroying them.

Those of us who complained about the tree-cutting were told that it is a routine practice to cut the whole tree, every five years. Somehow, it's beyond my finite mind to imagine the trees growing to its former glory in five years. Basing on my primary school science knowledge that plants require chlorophyll to photosynthesise, I doubt that the stumps will even bud again.

Seeing the fallen trunks being bundled up like some logging activity, one can't help but wonder if the worth of a tree is perceived to be just as much as what a log would be valued at. The authorities concerned should seriously look into the matter to ensure that such activities are carried out with the right intention, using the best methods, taking into consideration the ecological and aesthetical worth of the trees, with full knowledge of the consequences of indiscriminate tree-chopping.