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Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) has always ben a point of reference
in the way we conduct our busines, underscoring our sensitivity to our stakeholders , the community in which we serve and our respect for the
environment . Guided by our own moral compass and ta king our cue
from Bursa Malaysia ’s CSR Framework for Public Listed Companies launched
in September 2006, the Group’s outreach programmes rest on four main
pillars: Workplace Development, Community Development, Marketplace
Development and Environmental Sustainability .
Our plantation
workers are truly the backbone of the
Group’s operations. Taking care of their
needs goes beyond providing them with
a roof over their heads. Much thought
and planning has gone into the design
and construction of accommodation for
various categories of staff in all of our
estates. The care taken has greatly
contributed towards an improved and
more conducive living environment that
our people can truly call home.
We have also looked into water supply
issues. In ensuring an adequate and
clean water supply, we have studied
various alternatives such as underground
sources, surface reservoirs, wells and
public and private water suppliers. This
initiative has already benefited residents
at the Retus Estate Complex in Sibu.
Retus Plantation Group of estates is
currently managed by TPB. We continue
to keep a watchful eye on the water
supply needs of other estates, which will
be upgraded as and when required.
Many of our housing estates are virtually
self-contained communities in their own
rights, with a host of amenities provided
such as places of worship, clinics,
kindergartens, crèches, club houses as
well as recreational and sports facilities.
Rather than becoming enclaves
providing comfort and convenience to
our staff, they also serve the needs of
the greater community, drawing folks
from the neighbourhood to enjoy the
amenities. In this way, we earn a place
in the local community, gaining its
respect as a valued and trusted
neighbour.
While we encourage our people to
work hard as a bedrock element of our
success, we ensure that this is balanced
with time set aside for social and
recreational activities. Given the
geographical spread of the Group’s
operations, inter-regional sports and
other recreational activities such as
Family Day, Annual Dinner, festive
gatherings and company outings bring
employees together from across the
Group.
A continuous learning curve. Human
capital development is the very
foundation upon which we can build a
brighter future. We take the view that
every employee is important and has a
critical role to play not only in the Group’s
ongoing and future success but to achieve
the national aspiration of revitalising the
agriculture sector to become the nation’s
third engine of growth. The Tenth
Malaysia Plan 2011-2015 has focused
on skills development as one of the
enablers of productivity and to facilitate
the sector’s move up the value chain. In
the past few years, the Company has
extended study loans or grants to the
deserving employees to pursue tertiary
education to a higher level.
In line with the national thrust on lifelong
learning and to raise the Group’s
capacity for knowledge and innovation,
the Group has invested and will
continue to invest in human capital
development programmes. In today’s
increasingly competitive business
environment , knowledge and
technology are the prerequisite elements
to staying ahead.
The Tradewinds Plantation Academy
(“TPA”), located in Sibu, Sarawak, has
been set up to provide training at both
professional and academic levels to
employees and the industry as a whole.
TPA’s training philosophy is simply to
ensure that the training content best
matches the needs of the Group’s
operations. As such, the training
curriculum has been designed to equip
our workforce with the necessary skills,
knowledge and hands-on experience
for optimal performance.
Through the training effort, we have
been able to build a valuable talent
pool, which is one of the contributing
factors to the Group’s success. The year
under review saw no less than 30
training programmes conducted
throughout our operating units, involving
all categories of staff from field and
estate workers right up to the managerial
level. Most of the programmes are
conducted by the Group’s pool of
training specialists at TPA. However, we
also draw upon the expertise of staff
from various disciplines to impart their
knowledge and experience. Our inhouse
training is complemented by
courses conducted by external trainers
to impart the specialised knowledge
and skills not available within the
Group.
As planters, it is our goal to plant roots
deep into the various communities in
which we operate. The seeds for
establishing good community relations
were sown from the very outset. Over
the years, we have carefully nurtured
the seedlings to maturity and now we
are reaping intangible rewards by way
of having earned the respect of the
community as a trusted neighbour and
friend.
During the year, the Group continued to
lend its support to the under-privileged,
welfare homes, shelters, mosques and
various educational institutions
throughout the country. Apart from these
worthy causes, we have sponsored
seminars and workshops that are
relevant to the business community. In
July 2010, the Company was the cosponsor
of a power-packed seminar
entitled ‘Investment Opportunities for
2010 and Beyond for Asian Companies
and Investors’ by Jim Rogers, an author,
financial commentator and successful
international investor. In recognition of
the important role played by women in
today’s business world, the Company
was proud to be one of the main
sponsors of the ‘Asian Women of
Influence Summit 2010’, officiated by
Y.A.Bhg Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah
Mansor.
However, the new thinking about CSR
and community development goes
beyond philanthropy. The key word is
engagement and the Group has
demonstrated this commitment by
breaking fast with orphans and local
communities during the holy month of
Ramadhan. The Group’s culture of
caring and sharing has cascaded down
to the employees, who have given their
time and energy to participate in many ‘gotong royong’ or self-help projects
organised by the local communities.
During the year, a Safety and Health
Camp was organised by the Northern
Peninsular Region for residents of
Ladang Serasa. The main objective of
the camp, which saw the participation
of the Fire Department, Department of
Occupational Safety and Health, Kuala
Krai Hospital and local medical clinics,
was to educate residents on issues
pertaining to safety and health. A blood
donation drive was held in conjunction
with the camp and as in other
campaigns, we take pride in the very
positive response from our staff. This is
probably the greatest gift that one can
give to the community – the gift of life.
Among our more enduring and farreaching
CSR legacies will be our
involvement in the longer-term projects
such as the Rural Electrification Project
in Zone One A in Miri, Sarawak which
was completed during the year under
review. Initiated by the Ministry of Rural
and Regional Development, the project
is aimed at improving the quality of life
of rural communities. Electricity is now
supplied to three long-houses within the
vicinity of Binu Estate.
As in previous years, our mills as well as
the corporate office, continue to serve
as an industrial training ground for
college and university students, giving
them a unique opportunity to gain firsthand
experience and a head-start when
they enter the job market. We have also
opened our doors to delegations from
government departments, nongovernmental
organisations and
members of the public and the
neighbouring communities who would
like to learn more about our operations.
The Group aims to be open and
transparent in its dealings with the
investing community, shareholders,
customers and other stakeholders. We
have therefore established several
platforms to communicate with our
various publics, and in this digital age,
our website is one of the most accessible
sources of information.
In compliance with the Roundtable
Sustainable Palm Oil (“RSPO”) criteria
for certification, a meeting with our
respective stakeholders was held on 11
November 2010. Stakeholders who
attended the meeting, included
representatives from the government,
National Union of Plantation Workers
and community members, have given
encouraging endorsements to the
Group.
All business activities will have impact
on the environment. But as a responsible
corporate citizen, the onus is on us to
ensure that the benefits of development
are not negated by its adverse effects
on the environment. We have, therefore,
put in place an Env i ronmental
Management System that complies with
the stringent requirements of the MS
ISO 14001 Standards and the
Environmental Quality Act 1974 that
provides a framework for environmental
requirements in Malaysia.
In ensuring environmental sustainability,
we have also adopted good agriculture
practices and agronomic management
covering the following areas: soil and
water conservation; integrated pest
management; nutrient balancing; fresh
fruit bunches evacuation; waste
recycling; pollution control and fragile
soils management, among others. These
practices are in line with the RSPO
Principles and Criteria, a prerequisite
for certification.
Intensive research conducted in-house
has given the Company a leadership
position in peat soil development.
Through efficient nutrient management,
sound water management and effective
pest and disease control, the Group has
successfully transformed peat soil into
an efficient and productive planting
medium. This was achieved with due
regard to environmental aspects such as
the conservation of the unique flora and
fauna on peat land. The Group’s
experience has been documented in a
paper entitled ‘Development of Oil Palm
on Peat: A Socio-economic Perspective’,
which was presented to the international
audience in Krabi, Thailand.
The Group continues to invest in new
installations and technology to alleviate
the problems of green-house gas
emissions and water pollution at its
mills. Recent initiatives include the
installation of a Continuous Emission
Monitoring system and the construction
of a tertiary treatment plant to reduce
the Biochemical Oxygen Demand and
Total Suspended Solids levels in Palm
Oil Mill Effluents (“POME”) before it is
discharged. The Group is also studying
various proposals to utilise methane
gas, a by-product in the anaerobic
treatment of POME, for energy
generation.
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