SD Guthrie denies allegations linking its Indonesian estates to forest fires [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: SD Guthrie Bhd has denied allegations linking its subsidiaries or employees to forest and land fires in Indonesia, saying it found no evidence that they had started the fires.

In a statement, the plantation group said its latest ground checks confirmed there were no active fires in any of its estates in Indonesia.It said the allegations were unsupported by credible evidence and did not reflect the findings of its on-the-ground assessments.

"Some of the companies mentioned in public reports as affiliates of Guthrie are not owned, managed or controlled by the group. Any outdated or incorrect attribution to Guthrie should be corrected, as it is misleading," it said.

SD Guthrie said its fire prevention measures include real-time monitoring of water levels, water-table monitoring in peatland areas, measures to maintain appropriate moisture levels, community fire-prevention programmes, and training for smallholders and local farmers on responsible land management.

"When a fire is detected within or near its operational boundaries, the group's operations will respond immediately, regardless of its source."

SD Guthrie said its Indonesian subsidiary Minamas Plantation has 67 firefighting teams comprising 1,005 trained personnel.

Their work is supported by drone and infrared monitoring across their plantation concession area and about 322,000 hectares of surrounding community land.

Between January and September 2026, SD these teams responded to and extinguished 2,411 fires. Of these, 2,376 were on community land.

"Their response to fires beyond Guthrie's concession area should not be taken as evidence that the group caused them.

"The group spends an estimated 3.5 billion rupiah (RM800,000) each month to maintain and deploy these resources. Guthrie, through its Indonesian subsidiaries, works with the authorities to tackle forest and land fires beyond the Group's concession areas," it added.

SD Guthrie said it will continue to work with the relevant Indonesian authorities and stakeholders and called for any inaccurate data or ownership attribution to be corrected and for allegations to be supported by credible evidence.

"Guthrie remains open to constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders towards the shared objective of preventing fires and protecting communities and the environment."