Sarawak's logging companies have grown increasingly besotted with public relations (PR), operating hand-in-glove with deeply entrenched BN state government.

For example, Interhill, a logging company based in Miri, has turned to Paddy Schubert Consultants, a PR company in Kuala Lumpur, to counter allegations of rape of Penan girls by loggers in its concession area, and of environmental destruction in its concession area in Baram.

An employee at an Interhill timber camp, known as ‘Ah Heng' or ‘Johnny', has been identified as the rapist of a young Penan girl ‘Bibi', in a national task force report issued by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry on Sept 8.

NONE Interhill, in a commentary on its website, wrote: ‘The camp manager launched an investigation directly against the implicated worker, and the alleged victim was directly interviewed by a female member of the company's upper management from the head office, in the presence of another fellow female villager only. However, the investigation did not reveal any evidence of sexual abuse or rape.'

Interhill went on to say local communities "receive substantial benefit" from the company's presence, "principally in terms of improved road access and provision of transport".

After a brief mission to Baram, lasting only six days last October, the ministry's task force highlighted eight reports of sexual abuse and rape, resulting in unwanted pregnancies. Most of the victims were minors - some children as young as 10.

The ministry reported that sexual abuse occurred during transportation between Penan villages and rural schools. According to the task force, logging truck drivers abducted schoolgirls and assaulted them, after schoolboys were made to get down from the trucks.

Local natives have made numerous police reports against sexual abuse by logging employees in the remote areas where logging companies Interhill and Samling operate, but have received no protection.

Local communities have explained to Malaysiakini that they remain vulnerable and under threat of sexual assault.

Interhill has said the controversy over the sexual abuse must be settled by the police. However, the police have announced that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with their investigations, and they consider the issue closed.

In defence of the unspeakable

As a result of an international furore over Interhill's partnership with Accor in building a luxury hotel in Kuching, Interhill commissioned a report by forestry consultant Hugh Blackett into its logging operations.

NONE Interhill must have been dismayed at the findings. Blackett described serious environmental degradation; cavalier violations of Environmental Impact Assessment requirements under forestry laws; threats of gangster assaults on local villagers; gross discrepancies between promises of compensation and the amounts shown to have been given to local communities; and local blockades against the company.

Interhill has tried gamely to put some spin on the report, arguing that its release demonstrated "transparency". It also produced another corporate social responsibility (CSR) document, ‘A Better Future Together', on Sept 30, setting out its proposed actions in response to Blackett's findings.

Actions promised include hiring more consultants to give further advice, raising awareness among its employees on sustainable development, providing notification to local native communities of its logging activities, and improving documentation of compensation payments.

ulu baram samling sarawak blockade 190608 02 Interhill has steadfastly ignored native communities' calls not to continue logging, unless the company negotiates with them for free, prior and informed consent, and respects their customary land rights. These pre-conditions are required under Malaysia's commitments to the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The document also made no mention of changing logging policies to stop the environmental destruction detailed in the Blackett report.

NGO activists argue that ‘raising awareness' about sustainable development among employees, and respect for local natives, will make no difference if the company's logging policy and practices continue.

The Blackett report pointed out, with some irony, that ‘raising awareness' about the impact of logging activites was demonstrated by putting up a few notices in logging camps, urging employees to respect local communities and refrain from drinking alcohol and gambling.

Against this emotional backdrop of reports of sexual abuse and the embarrassing Blackett report, public relations and CSR touted by Interhill face a formidable, even Sisyphean, task. Yet the company has struggled on, producing CSR documents with themes like ‘Our Promise to Our People' and ‘A Better Future Together'.

Indigenous rights activists say the company refuses to acknowledge and respond to fundamental issues:

  • loggers cause environmental degradation;
  • loggers trample over indigenous land rights;
  • loggers threaten locals with violence by gangsters;
  • loggers sexually abuse local girls and women; and
  • loggers dominate these remote areas, which are deprived of access to police, social services and media coverage.

But perhaps Sarawakian natives should not despair.

In ‘A Better Future Together', Interhill promises to "create a database to record all issues and monitor the management of each of them... to ensure that all past stakeholder consultations, dialogues and meetings are carefully documented and suggestions made are not lost".

KERUAH USIT is a human rights activist - anak Sarawak, bangsa Malaysia . His ‘The Antidote' column, which appears in Malaysiakini every Wednesday, is an attempt to allow the voices of marginalised people to be heard all over Malaysia.