MELAKA: The fires linked by an Indonesian NGO to 21 Malaysian companies did not start on their land, says Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
She said this was based on reports received through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
Noraini said she had asked her office to handle the matter and would look into each company said to be involved in the burning.
She added that the reports showed the fire started elsewhere and spread because of hot weather.
"Based on the reports we received through MPOB, so far, it did not start on the (Malaysian companies') plantations. It started elsewhere, but because the weather was extremely hot, it spread.
"But it was put out immediately," she told reporters at an open day for students at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) on Tuesday (Oct 27).
Noraini added that all plantation companies were subject to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards, both of which prohibit open burning.
"Under the RSPO, open burning is not allowed at all. The MSPO is the same.
"Monitoring is also carried out regularly by MPOB," she said.
On Monday (Oct 26), Indonesian environmental NGO Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) claimed that 21 companies linked to business groups with Malaysian ties were involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia between January and September this year.
The findings are part of a mapping analysis report titled "Who are Behind the Fires" published by Walhi.
On Sunday (Oct 25), Indonesia reported a sharp decline in forest and land fire hotspots as rainfall brought relief to firefighting operations there.
Forest fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region have burned for over three months, exacerbated by severe dry conditions.
