Sime Darby Plantation Berhad which was slapped with a Withhold Release Order by the United States Customs and Border Protection on 30 December 2020 and the subsequent finding on 28 January 2022 against its palm oil and palm oil products that violated labour guidelines, has submitted its report refuting the accusations.
The plantation giant has confirmed that it had submitted a comprehensive report to US Customs in relation to the above, which includes a detailed assessment of its Malaysian operations mapped against each of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) forced labour indicators; an in-depth description of improved governance structures and management systems; copies of policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures; details of facilities at SDP Operating Units; corresponding supporting evidence; and independent reports from third party consultants appointed by SDP to assess various aspects of its operations.
SDP says the aim of the report is to demonstrate its full compliance with the United States import regulations and international labour standards, and that it has internal controls and systems in place to protect the rights of its workers and ensure their well-being whilst addressing and removing the existence of any possible indicators of forced labour.
