Johor government rejects claims linking state investment arm JCorp to Indonesian fires

JOHOR BAHRU – Johor Corporation (JCorp) has no links to forest and land fires in Indonesia, says Onn Hafiz Ghazi.The Johor Menteri Besar said the state took the false allegations linking the state investment arm to the fires very seriously.“There should be no attempt to twist the facts and create the perception that JCorp, an investment institution owned by the Johor government, is involved in the forest fires.“JCorp has issued an official statement clarifying that the company and its subsidiaries are not involved in operating any plantations outside Malaysia,” he said in a Facebook post on Oct 29.Onn Hafiz added that Kulim (Malaysia), a wholly-owned unit of JCorp, through its subsidiaries, had divested its interests in five plantation companies in Indonesia in 2007.It subsequently divested its entire equity interests in two other Indonesian companies on July 6, 2023.“(Thus), allegations linking JCorp to the ownership or current operations of these companies, as well as the fires, are false and misleading.“Everyone has the right to demand transparency and accountability, but these must be based on facts and credible evidence,” he said, adding that the state government will continue to defend Johor’s integrity, credibility and reputation against any unfounded allegations.On Oct 26, Indonesian environmental organisation Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia claimed that 21 companies linked to business groups with Malaysian ties were involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia between January and September in 2026.The findings were presented in a mapping analysis report, titled Who Are Behind The Fires, published by Walhi.Forest fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region have been burning for more than three months, exacerbated by severe dry conditions. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK