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SHAH ALAM - Guthrie has denied allegations that its subsidiaries or employees were responsible for forest and land fires in Indonesia, saying its latest ground checks found no active fires at any of its estates.
In a statement, the group said the allegations were not supported by credible evidence and did not reflect its findings on the ground.
“The allegations against Guthrie are not supported by credible evidence and do not reflect the facts established through the Group’s latest ground checks, which confirm no active fires in any of its estates in Indonesia,” it said.
The group also denied that its subsidiaries or employees had started the fires, adding that some companies identified in public reports as its affiliates were not owned, managed or controlled by Guthrie.
"Any outdated or incorrect attribution to Guthrie should be corrected, as it is misleading," the company said.
Guthrie said it had maintained a strict zero-burning policy across its operations since 1985, alongside commitments to prevent deforestation, peatland development and exploitation.
Its Indonesian subsidiary, Minamas Plantation, has 67 firefighting teams comprising 1,005 trained personnel, supported by drone and infrared monitoring across its plantation concession areas and about 322,000 hectares of surrounding community land.
Between Jan and Sept this year, the teams responded to and extinguished 2,411 fires, of which 2,376 were on community land.
The group said its response to fires outside its concession areas should not be interpreted as evidence that it caused them.
“Fires which happen within Guthrie’s concession area are detected early with action taken immediately to extinguish them,” it said.
Guthrie added that reports linking it to the fires appeared to rely on outdated Hak Guna Usaha maps that did not reflect current ownership or operational boundaries.
It also argued that the palm trees in the areas concerned were relatively young and productive, suggesting that the group deliberately started fires to clear land inconsistent with its operations.
The statement comes as Indonesia continues to battle forest and land fires that have sent haze across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
The latest outbreak has severely affected air quality in parts of Malaysia, with Selangor, Johor and other areas recording unhealthy air pollution levels.
On Sept 30, the Environment Department reported more than 500 hotspots across Kalimantan and Sumatra, with smoke from the fires contributing to transboundary haze affecting Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and northwestern Borneo.
The haze has also disrupted daily activities and raised public health concerns.
