Council plants more trees around ‘Democracy Tree’

(The Star) IPOH: The Ipoh City Council planted 19 young trees around Perak Pakatan Rakyat’s “Democracy Tree” to deter people from using it for “unknown religious purposes”.

Six council workers were spotted planting 1.5m-high eugenia oleina trees, 1.5m around the base of the tree at 8am yesterday.

Ipoh Datuk Bandar Datuk Roshidi Hashim claimed that some people had left a trident (used as a Hindu symbol) at the base of the tree.

More greenery: Ipoh City Council workers planting shrubs around the Perak Pakatan Rakyat’s ‘Democracy Tree’ Saturday.

“Some people are also using the tree to get 4D lottery numbers.

“This land is not a place of worship but a road reserve,” he said, adding that the trees, costing some RM2,000, were planted to beautify the area.

The mayor said he had also not received any application to erect a new memorial plaque on May 1 and refuted accusations by Pantai Remis assemblyman Nga Kor Ming that the trees had been planted to prevent the plaque from being re-erected.

Earlier, Nga had described the council’s move as “ridiculous and stupid” because the trees were planted too close to the “Democracy Tree” that their roots would damage it.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said the mayor had no right to say that people should not pray at the tree as this constituted a form of moral policing.