The Penang government claims that it has planted 271,028 trees in the past eight years from 2008 to 2015.

State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said that Penang reiterated its commitment to a green environment.

“The State Landscape Committee under the Town and Country Planning Department has reported that 271,028 trees have been planted since 2008 by the various government agencies, developers, NGOs and local communities,” Chow said in a statement.

“Therefore, we appeal to Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) to understand that the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will take every effort to reduce the number of trees affected by the road-widening project in Jalan Masjid Negeri,” he added.

Chow was referring to a rally held by environmental activists who opposed the 1.8km road- widening project on Tuesday.

MBPP councillor Lim Mah Hui, who was present at the rally, said road-widening projects were not effective in freeing choked roads.

Chow said cutting or transplanting 18 trees would not undermine the Penang government’s commitment to a greener state.

He added that the state was equally accountable to road users who demanded the authorities take action to ease congestion.

“We disagree with CAP president SM Mohamed Idris’s contention that tree transplanting by MBPP as an alternative to chopping the tree was a bluff,” Chow, who is state DAP chairman, said.

Setting the record straight

“To set the record straight, 30 of 34 trees transplanted because of the road-widening projects from Udini roundabout to Jalan Delima have survived well,” added the Padang Kota assemblyman.

Meanwhile, at a press conference in George Town, MBPP engineering department deputy director A Rajen said the council would proceed with the road-widening project but the number of trees cut would be reduced to 16.

He said this was possible after the council had carried out some alignment adjustments along the road.

He also refuted claims by environmental activists that the trees to be cut were centuries-old.

“According to our arborist, the affected trees are between 30 and 35 years old; those not affected are about 50 (years old).

“The four trees in front of the CAP office along Jalan Masjid Negeri are only 15 years old and they are not affected,” Rajen said.

He said some of the trees along Jalan Masjid Negeri were transplanted during the construction of the first Penang Bridge in 1982.

“Some say our efforts are all bluff but actually the transplantation of the trees around the Udini roundabout in Seri Delima had a success rate of 88 percent.

“Out of 37 trees affected, we transplanted 34, as three had decayed due to termites and had to be chopped down.

“Out of the 30 trees transplanted in Sungai Pinang, where the Karpal Singh Drive is currently located, 26 survived, four died, and another four were transplanted in Lorong Chantek in Butterworth,” Rajen said.

He said the arborist had recommended that several trees along Jalan Masjid Negeri be chopped, but the MBPP would transplant them anyway to give them a chance to survive.

He added that the arborist would monitor the trees and nurse sick ones to see if they can be rejuvenated.

Rajen defended the road-widening project, saying it had to be carried out as works on the Air Itam-Lim Chong Eu highway would begin in June, and completed in three years.

“During this interim time, we have to carry out the road-widening works; we are not building flyovers or else, more trees would be affected,” he said.