KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali today said that the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) would be studying the latest forced labour allegation by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), against Top Glove Corp Berhad.
The CBP had yesterday ordered the seizure of all disposable gloves made by Top Glove at all US ports of entry, as it believed the world’s largest rubber glove maker utilised forced labour in its production.
“Well, certainly we need to look at the full report and as I mentioned earlier, to facilitate our industries to understand what the requirements of our export markets are because they have to comply with those requirements. So the ministry is looking into those details; we will facilitate those industries.
“Well, we haven’t conducted the investigation yet,” Azmin said, when pressed for a response as to whether Putrajaya would probe Top Glove.
He said that Miti has organised a series of reach-out sessions to enhance the understanding of regulatory mechanisms among industries and to create awareness on the regulatory requirements of export markets, including the United States.
“Anyway, Miti will continue to facilitate industries in engaging our trade partners to resolve our trade and investment-related matters,” he added.
Reuters reported the CBP as saying in a statement, that it possesses sufficient information pointing to labour abuses at Top Glove.
The ban now extends “to all disposable gloves originating in Top Glove factories in Malaysia,” CBP told Reuters.
In July last year, the agency barred imports from two of Top Glove’s subsidiaries on suspicion of labour abuses.
