THE forest fires in Indonesia that have led to the troubling haze crisis in South-East Asia (SEA) have drawn attention to Malaysian oil palm planters. Serious allegations have been levelled against local planters’ negligence and weak anti-fire precautionary measures in their estate holdings in the republic.
The Indonesian authorities last week singled out at least 30 companies, including four high-profile Malaysian planters – Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP), IOI Corp Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) and Terengganu-state owned plantation arm TDM Bhd – as the culprits behind the major forest fires.