This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 16, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sustainability auditor Wild Asia is crying foul over Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd’s (FGV) claim that it has cleared the plantation group of human trafficking and prevalent forced labour in its oil palm estates in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan.

In a statement published on its website on March 4, FGV stated that Wild Asia, as an independent verifier, had concluded in its investigations that there were no human trafficking cases found in FGV’s plantations covering three areas — Pasoh, Serting Hilir and Palong Timur — in Jempol.

FGV said Wild Asia noted in its report that: “Within the sample, our worker interviews did not identify “human trafficked” cases (as described in media reports) nor can we conclude that “forced labour” (as defined by SA8000) is prevalent.”

A SA8000 standard is a social certification standards for decent workplaces based on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions of the International Labour Organisation which protect the basic human rights of workers.

However, Wild Asia begs to differ on FGV’s statement, saying it did not endorse FGV’s statement which it claims had been issued without its consultation.

“FGVH (FGV) issued a public statement on the findings of a technical assessment Wild Asia had conducted on behalf of FGVH,” said Wild Asia in a recent Facebook post. “Wild Asia would like to put on record that it does not endorse FGV’s original public statement, which has been made without the consultation of Wild Asia.”

The non-profit organisation (NGO) said it was engaged to provide a technical assessment of FGV’s current labour management.

“Wild Asia’s methodology for the verification assessment was designed around desktop reviews, management and worker interviews, as well as a five-day site visit to a single palm oil mill complex (Negeri Sembilan),” it added.

As it had inked a non-disclosure agreement with FGV, Wild Asia said it is unable to make further statements on the issue.

FGV had engaged with Wild Asia after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), in its report published in late July last year, alleged that FGV had withheld wages for its palm oil harvesters working in its plantations in Jempol, most of whom are foreign labourers.

FGV group president and chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah said in the company’s March 4 statement that investigations into WSJ allegations were also carried out by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), of which FGV is a member.

“Based on these independent findings, there are no human trafficking cases or forced labour on our three alleged plantations,” said Mohd Emir.

However, a visit to RSPO’s complaint section on its website suggests otherwise.

According to a RSPO letter dated March 7 issued to FGV, the RSPO Complaints Panel had reviewed the independent assessment reports and decided to suspend its certification of FGV’s Pasoh palm oil mill until full clearance is given based on the re-audits.

Further, RSPO said re-audits are to be conducted on all three of its palm oil mills — Pasoh, Serting Hilir and Palong Timur — before certification can be reconsidered.

FGV is also expected to submit a one-year time bound action plan to address all major and minor issues highlighted by the Accreditation International Services report across the company within 30 days of the letter.

FGV must also submit a quarterly report on the progress made for the period of one year, at the end of which, the RSPO panel shall review the complaint and make a final decision on closure.

Mohd Emir said that the company has an above board policy on the hiring of foreign workers, and that the group has zero tolerance towards any form of harassment or abuse.