PENANG deputy chief minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has slammed Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin for declaring that Malaysia will put up an “aggressive” fight against foreign pressures on palm oil and provide all the relevant evidence to counter the attacks.
Zuraida had also announced in a statement on Tuesday (April 26) that her ministry is seeking meetings with the US Custom Border Protection (CBP) and the European Union (EU) to “set the record straight” on allegations of deforestation and forced labour.
She also urged Malaysians to work together with the ministry to address the “anti-palm oil propaganda” by Western countries which is clearly aimed at bringing down the country’s palm oil industry.
“It baffles me how Zuraida is going to get “aggressive” and set the record straight with the US CBP and the EU on both matters,” Ramasamy said.
“Felda Glove Ventures (FGV), Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SDPB) and some glove manufacturers have had problems getting their products accepted in the United States and EU markets.
“This is due to the allegations of widespread use of forced labour in the plantations as well as in some manufacturing establishments.
“I would like to know how Zuraida intends to get around the pervasive use of forced labour in plantations as well as in some low-skill manufacturing companies.”
FGV and SDPB are renowned plantation companies in the country that have also invested in other commercial areas, although plantation production remains their primary focus.
“Their brochures are impressive in that they talk about upstream and downstream activities but the question is whether these two giant plantation companies have revolutionised their production to the extent of mechanisation,” the Perai assemblyperson commented.
“While upstream activities are confined to the harvesting of oil palm fruits using the same old method, downstream activities are confined to the production of crude oil with some attempt at refinement.”
Ramasamy noted that if the plantation production system relies on cheap and malleable labour force then there is very little realisation of the use value of labour and therefore under such circumstances there might be a tendency to use forced or coerced labour.
“Whether plantations can do away completely with forced labour is an interesting question. But if this is done then plantations will be no longer defined as plantations,” he opined.
“The question is not dealing with the US or the EU but whether Zuraida can convince these countries of the absence of forced labour in the plantations owned by FGV and Sime Darby.
“I don’t think it is necessary for Zuraida to take an aggressive stance in defending the Malaysian companies of allegations of forced labour.”
He further noted that Zuraida should be made aware of the facts surrounding the phenomenon of forced labour which is “an integral aspect of the plantation production system based on subservient labour force”.
“I am sorry to say that Zuraida is not in a position to defend the human rights of labour in Malaysia. In this case it is advisable for her to take a diplomatic approach to the question of forced labour rather than trying to hide a pumpkin in a handful of cooked rice,” he added. – April 27, 2022
