ALOR GAJAH, Oct 27 — The government has denied claims by an Indonesian non-governmental organisation that Malaysian plantation companies were involved in forest burning in the republic.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad said monitoring by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) found that the fires did not originate in plantations owned by Malaysian companies, but had spread from neighbouring areas.
MPOB conducts regular monitoring, as the companies are also bound by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certifications.
"Based on reports we received through MPOB, so far the fires did not start in those plantations. They started elsewhere, but due to extreme heat, the flames spread before being quickly brought under control," she said.
Noraini was speaking to the media during the closing ceremony of the JELITA Open Day - 12 Hours Sprint Training, officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Chancellor Hall of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) in Durian Tunggal today.
Also present were Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari, and UTeM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Massila Kamalrudin.
Yesterday, Indonesian environmental group Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) claimed that 21 companies linked to or affiliated with Malaysian business groups were involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia between January and September this year.
The finding was part of a spatial analysis report titled "Who Are Behind the Fires?" released by WALHI's national executive.
According to the report, satellite data recorded at least 30,927 hotspots across Indonesia during the first nine months of this year, with nearly 50 per cent located within concession areas operated by oil palm and forestry plantation companies.
Provinces recording the highest concentrations of hotspots included West Kalimantan with 9,529 and Central Kalimantan with 7,141, causing the Pollutant Standards Index in the affected areas to reach unhealthy to hazardous levels.
