HSBC has bankrolled logging companies causing widespread environmental destruction and human rights abuses in Sarawak, Malaysia, violating its sustainability policies and earning around US$130 million in the process, an investigation by a London-based group, Global Witness, has revealed.
Global Witness investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource related conflict and corruption, and associated environmental and human rights abuses.
Malaysia’s Sarawak region exports more tropical timber than South America and Africa combined and now has just five per cent of its forests left intact following decades of industrial-scale logging and plantation development. The Global Witness report, “In the Future There Will Be No Forests Left”, identifies loans and services to seven of the region’s largest logging conglomerates that would have generated HSBC an estimated US$130 million in interest and fees.
Read the Global Witness report.
An article from The Economist about the Global Witness report said:
Support the struggle to build a Malaysia based on Justice, Freedom, Solidarity:Tel: 04-658 5251 email: [email protected]
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter
- Become an Aliran member
The Economist asked HSBC to comment. The bank declined to discuss its clients because of confidentiality, but said it is “not accurate” to state that its clients are in violation of its forestland and forest-products policy. It said current data show that 99% of its forest-sector clients worldwide (by size of lending) are “compliant” or “near-compliant” with its policy. What precisely it means by “near-compliant” is unclear. HSBC said: “We consider engagement rather than exclusion as the right approach for a responsible bank to take…In this way, we believe HSBC contributes more to sustainable development—and the long-term commercial viability of our customers’ businesses—than if we were merely to exit customer relationships.” It adds that it will stop working with firms that “do not make credible progress towards compliance within a given timeframe,” though in some cases “we are obliged to wait until a loan facility expires.”
Reflected greenery
The bank has parted ways with at least one Sarawak logger. It appears to have dropped Samling Global in 2010, around the time that the Norwegian Council on Ethics reported that the group had been logging inside a national park. It is true, too, that the bank is now lending only small amounts, if anything, to its remaining clients: the two most recent credit-related transactions identified by Global Witness were for less than $1m, and it is not clear if they were fresh loans or restructurings.
But as principal banker HSBC is likely to be offering other services, such as cash management. And its continued involvement, however modest, allows logging firms to claim credentials they don’t deserve. Ta Ann, for instance, has run adverts saying it holds forest-policy certification from HSBC. That looks like a figleaf.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
The real truth is HSBC needs to operate in Malaysia without any disturbances from the ruling party and the same time making huge profit. That is simple as that and you don’t need anyone with a secondary school education to know that.
likewise that also apply to all the banks and businesses operating inMalaysia or should I say wish to stay in business.
I am writing this from my personal experiences over several decades. This is Malaysia under the control of Umno and the only way to stop all these monkey businesses from going on is to vote the morons from staying on in Putrajaya in the coming GE !