An international labour rights group has criticised the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme for ignoring workers’ rights, including work environment and occupational safety issues. 

This was after Malaysiakini reported several vulnerabilities in the scheme as well as loopholes in domestic laws.

Apolinar Tolentino, the Asia Pacific Regional Representative of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), told Malaysiakini that the auditors of local and international timber products paid little attention to the rights of labourers.

This amounts to...