KUALA LUMPUR: The pressure on Top Glove Corp Bhd over alleged forced labour may have eased, at least from the US authorities' perspective.
Top Glove today said there were no new additional issues on forced labour that had been discovered or added by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Instead, the company was requested by the CBP to carry out extra rectification and verification work in relation to the earlier findings on the alleged forced labour issue.
"We have clarified with the CBP and note there are no new additional issues on forced labour that have been discovered or added. What is required, however, is some additional rectification work on the existing findings, which is already in progress," Top Glove managing director Datuk Lee Kim Meow said a virtual briefing.
"We aim to quickly complete this additional rectification work in a comprehensive manner. We will also continue to abide by the requirements of the Withhold Release Order (WRO) in the meantime," Lee added.
Top Glove founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai said it was collaborating with independent migrant worker rights specialist Andy Hall to move to become a leading manufacturer with the best possible Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) practices across the industry.
Late last month, the CBP ordered personnel at US ports of entry to seize Top Glove's gloves made in Malaysia over allegations of forced labour.
That fuelled concerns over its ESG practices.
Hall said it was time to acknowledge the increasingly positive momentum forward shown recently by Top Glove's leadership to effectively remediate remaining forced labour indicators from the company's direct operations and supply chain.
"We must now begin to evaluate critically CBP's approach towards the company and question its ongoing reluctance to withdraw forced labour trade related finding at a time when other leading companies in Malaysia are doing far less than Top Glove to ensure the welfare of their workers, yet they are still not similarly subject to CBP trade enforcement action," he added.
During the briefing, Top Glove reiterated its commitment towards continually improving its workers' accommodations as well as their welfare, health, and safety.
The company also said the glove industry outlook continued to be promising.
This will be driven by demand from developed counties where usage is high, as well as strong growth opportunities in emerging countries with large populations where usage is relatively low but on the rise.