KUALA LUMPUR: A man who hacked a severely-damaged Sarsi tree on a popular hiking trail towards Mount Chamah, Gua Musang, irked netizens who feared it might fall on someone.
The 35-second video posted by @axiataemran depicted the man hacking the Sarsi tree so other hikers could smell and taste it.
The caption of the video said: "While we hiked, we also learned about the flora and fauna in the forest. The Sarsi tree could be used as a drink flavouring. We tasted it in the middle of the trail towards Mount Chamah. Coming soon, we will introduce mountain spices as well."
The video angered netizens. They tried to warn the owner of the video, as the tree appeared to be nearly toppled due to the hacking. However, the man insisted that the tree was already in that condition before he arrived.
"If there was a strong wind, the tree could have fallen. If, by chance, other hikers were passing underneath, it could have led to a bad incident of being crushed by the tree," said user @izzatsarif.
The account owner replied that he had just returned three weeks ago and the tree was already in that condition. He said he only shared some chipped wood with other hikers for them to taste. He said the chipped wood can be used in making sarsi-flavoured drinks.
User @ikhwan8526 replied: "Yes, if everyone thought the same, multiplied by hundreds or thousands of people who came and cut the tree, it would eventually fall."
Meanwhile, @user7669157125791 said that similar situations had happened to the Sarsi tree at Mount Tahan, where many trees fell because they were hacked, since everyone wanted to taste them.
The Malaysian Forestry Department said that it is an offence for any hiker to damage trees and plants in the forest.
"Even if the hiker had already seen the tree in that condition when he arrived, he had no right to hack it further," its representative told the New Straits Times.
Anyone found guilty can be investigated under Section 81(1)(b) of the National Forestry Act 1994 (Amendment 1993).
This applied to offences such as cutting, girdling, marking, or tapping any tree, as well as damaging by fire or removing any tree or timber without permission.
They could be fined up to RM50,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years, or both.
He said that the department had sent a complaint related to the video to the Kelantan Forestry Department's enforcement division for further action.