RimbaWatch has urged the government to temporarily suspend Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd as a notified certification body for Malaysia’s timber industry, following concerns regarding Orang Asli rights and sustainability.

Sirim QAS International is a subsidiary of Sirim (Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) Berhad, which is under the purview of the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry.

In a statement today, the environmental watchdog noted that...