Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd's plantation group has immediately denied there are any fires in any of its operating areas in Indonesia, where forest fires have been smothering Southeast Asia with smoke.
A Singapore Straits Times report today quoted Indonesian officials as saying that they are monitoring eight firms but did not name them although environmentalists said a Sime Darby unit had fires on its land.
Sime Darby named was mentioned in the article by The Malaysian Insider (Here) in bad faith.
"Sime Darby Plantation would like to stress that there are no fires in any of our operating areas in Indonesia. The company strictly follows its zero burning policy throughout its operations," Sime Darby said in a statement on its corporate website.
It said that current reports of hot spots in Riau included an area within PT Tunggal Mitra Plantation's (PT TMP) concession area, a unit under the group.
"PT TMP, a subsidiary of PT Minamas Gemilang, and a Sime Darby Plantation company, is unable to exert control over activities beyond its operating areas and where it is occupied by others.
"Nevertheless PT TMP will continue to monitor the situation, cooperate with local authorities, and assist with its fire prevention teams to ensure that any hazards are managed appropriately," it added.
Sime Darby said the total concession area of PT TMP is 13,836 hectares and the total planted area is 10,825 hectares with 537 hectares consisting of nurseries and development areas with buildings, nursery, roads and bridges.
Another 2,474 hectares were being occupied by local communities.
Smoke from the various fires have shrouded the west coast of the Malay peninsula and Singapore, with pollutants at hazardous levels, say authorities.
Singapore have sent its officials to discuss the issue with their Indonesian counterparts and offer help to put out the fires while Malaysia is expected to do so in the coming week.
Malaysia has also asked its companies to obey local laws and not pollute the environment. The haze, as it is called, began some 15 years ago due to large-scale clearing of land for palm oil plantations in Indonesia. - June 22, 2013.
1 comment:
Obeying local laws in Indonesia wakakaka
They didn't get the reputation of being a corrupt hellhole with foreign companies just getting along with just obeying local laws.
Wonder how much money goes into the local officials pockets for various things.
So typical of indonesians to claim foreign companies are the ones burning trees. They don't even think they are plainly admitting their law and law enforcement is shit and does nothing to prevent things happening on their soil.
Post a Comment