JAKARTA, July 12 — The Indonesian National Police has named a subsidiary of a Malaysian company as a suspect in forest burning to clear land for plantations in Riau.

National Police spokesman Ronny F. Sompie said the company allegedly carried out irresponsible burning practices at its concession area in Riau.

“The company is responsible for the fire and has been declared a suspect, but we have not determined the company’s employees who were responsible for the burning,” he was quoted as saying by English daily The Jakarta Post today.

He said the police detected several hotspots in areas controlled by five companies, but had only gained sufficient evidence on the Malaysian company-linked subsidiary’s involvement over its use of illegal slash-and-burn methods to clear land for cultivation.

Meanwhile, the Association of Plantation Investors of Malaysia in Indonesia (Apimi) has denied any involvement of Malaysian companies in the forest burning in Riau.

Apimi executive secretary Nor Hazlan Abdul Mutalib said the association would soon issue a statement in response to the latest allegation by the Indonesian authorities on the matter.

The Jakarta Post also qouted Riau police spokesman Hermansyah as saying that the police had questioned 16 witnesses in the case, ranging from field workers to management-level employees of the Malaysian company-linked subsidiary.

“None have been named as the perpetrators of the fire in the company’s concession area... We do not want to rush into naming the responsible parties,” he said.

The slash-and-burn activity in June created a severe haze that shrouded Singapore and Malaysia, apart from affecting Indonesians living near the fires in Sumatra.

It also prompted Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to issue an apology to Malaysia and Singapore. — Bernama