KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — FGV Holdings Bhd (FGV) has reiterated that it is fully committed to respecting human rights and to upholding labour standards, and it is not involved in any recruitment or employment of refugees.

"In line with our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), FGV’s sustainability and human rights agenda remains a top priority as we continue to dedicate our energy to enhance our labour practices,” it said in a statement today.

On the issue pertaining to refugees recruitment or employment, the plantation company said effective 2020, it had recruited its migrant workers mainly from India and Indonesia through legal channels, and processed documents recognised and approved by the authorities of Malaysia and the source countries.

"As of August 2020, FGV has 11,286 Indonesian workers and 4,683 Indian workers, who together form the majority of FGV’s plantation workforce.

"Furthermore, FGV does not hire contract workers and all workers are employed directly by FGV,” it said.

FGV stressed that it did not practice the retention of its workers’ passports, and had installed 32,250 safety boxes throughout all its 68 complexes, as an option for migrant workers to keep their passports safely.

It said it had taken various actions in support of efforts to respect workers’ rights.

FGV said it was currently implementing a long-term and comprehensive action plan under its affiliation to the Washington, DC-headquartered Fair Labour Association that comprised initiatives to further strengthen various aspects of its labour practices, including its recruitment process and human rights training programmes.

FGV restated that it did not tolerate any form of human rights infringements or criminal offence in its operations, and any case of such nature would be acted on by reporting them to the relevant authorities. — Bernama