Sustainability

Corporate Social Responsibility

Sabah Softwoods Berhad (SSB) received the "Ladang Bahagia" national award from Malaysia's Prime Minister, Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in May 2009 and Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in May 2010 consecutively. This is a testimony of our commitment to deliver our "WE GIVE BACK" promise.

People rank the highest hierarchy at SSB. Every year, more than RM15 millions of SSB's revenue is spent on improving the lives of our employees and their families. We provide modern amenities and comfortable housing for our 4000 over estate staff and workers by ensuring continuous providing treated water supply and free electricity supply to their homes. Medical care, 24-hour emergency help and ambulance services are made available to their families; free bus services to shuttle the children from the estates to the schools and back; and Day-Care Centre, as well as recreational and sports facilities are set up for the community used.

We have built places of worship, community halls, schools, police stations and security posts at various locations surrounding our estates. Our employees also receive continuous training and development to improve their knowledge and skills. We believe that the key to our success lies in having healthy, happy and competent employees.

Caring for the environment is a core value that we are committed to instill in each of our employees, irrespective of rank and seniority. Our employees understand that the way we treat the environment will ultimately affect the way the environment treats us. SSB is committed to managing all its logged-over forests with a long-term, sustainable plan that addresses all economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects, including proper care in maintaining the biological diversity, ecosystem vitality and soil quality of its plantations, as well as protecting the cultural values of its indigenous people.

We strive to build a profitable business that benefits the environment as well as our stakeholders, which include our shareholders, customers, forest users and employees. We subscribe to sustainable forest management principles and good agriculture practices.Our international accreditations include the Forest Stewardship Council^® FSC-C010070 and FSC^® Chain-of-Custody (COC) FSC-C104743 certifications. These recognitions endorse us as a premier forest management organization as much as it validates our environmental credentials.

Environment & Conservation

Sabah Softwoods Berhad (SSB) has set aside approximately 7,000 hectares of Forest areas for conservation and environment to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem as well mitigating climate changes. This area is equivalent to 12% of SSB's productive land bank for environment and conservation for sustainable production. To enhance the biodiversity of the conservation areas, we have been carrying out forest restoration to increase the timber stand and source of food for wildlife by planting indigenous tree species and wild fruit trees. Being a responsible and progressive company, we are committed to using the best management practices in our business operations without compromising the social and environmental aspects. We manage our natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner by integrating conservation needs and development activities.

Sustaining the environment and biodiversity is an integral part of all aspects and stages of our plantation operations. The MSPO certification are a testimony of our commitment and responsibility to all this goodness and it shows that all environmental and social aspects are in place and well monitored.

Sabah Softwoods Berhad is certified with MSPO for Oil Palm plantation and KPOM since 2016. In addition, the mill is also certified with MSPO-SCCS for CPO and Palm kernel in 2019. All the certifications are in good order.

Land which is conserved helps in carbon sequestration. What we do in SSB may not have a great impact as a whole but we believe changes comes one step at a time. Trees play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and convert it into clean oxygen and carbon. Trees will release the oxygen gas and store the carbon. Trees also are an important element of the landscape for wildlife. Management Team had an opportunity to plant native species and wild fruit trees for wildlife habitat in wildlife corridor area during the year 2016. Like in the words of wisdom of a famous person "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" In Sabah Softwoods "We make the change and we give back to the People and Planet".

Research & Development

Sabah Softwoods Berhad is committed to invest and support the Research and Development (R^&D) in ensuring the agro-forestry plantation industry. This commitment focuses on improving planting materials and yields, particularly for species such as Eucalyptus pellita, its hybrids, Acacia mangium and its hybrids, Albizia falcataria, and Neolamarckia species.

With over 50 years of experience in the agro-forestry plantation sector, we are confident in our ability to continuously enhance Best Operational Practices (BOP) through our Tree Breeding and Silviculture programs. The establishment of a Tissue Culture Laboratory further strengthens our efforts by enabling the cloning of selected high-performing genetic materials from both tree species and oil palm.

Through our Tree Breeding program, Sabah Softwoods Berhad now offers improved planting materials, including Eucalyptus pellita seeds sourced from our Seedling Seed Orchard (SSO) and Seed Production Area (SPA). Since 2012, we have been supplying these seeds to various external companies, both internationally and locally. Our R^&D teams are actively developing clonal planting materials for Eucalyptus pellita and its hybrids, as well as for high-tolerant of Acacia mangium and its hybrid clones. Currently, our R^&D efforts are focused on advancing the development of clonal materials through hybridization programs for both Eucalyptus and Acacia hybrids. These initiatives aim to enhance resistance traits and broaden the diversity of selected planting materials for commercial deployment.