Show solidarity with Malaysian communities at risk

We’re calling on the government to launch an urgent investigation into Malaysian timber entering the UK – to make sure it’s not fuelling deforestation or harm to communities.

And we need a new law to make sure UK companies protect people and wildlife in their global supply chains.

23 Mar 2026

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Friends of the Earth, along with our partners RimbaWatch, based in Peninsular Malaysia, and Earthsight, have published shocking new research that exposes systemic failures in Malaysia's key timber certification scheme, used to ensure timber is harvested sustainably. 

It’s known as the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) which is endorsed by the globally recognised Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

This means that timber linked to deforestation, Indigenous rights violations and the destruction of critically endangered tiger habitats is being certified as "sustainable". UK companies including Howdens and Travis Perkins are importing timber from Malaysia under this certification scheme, meaning there’s a real risk unsustainable timber is entering UK markets and being sold to unsuspecting UK customers. 

Our Malaysian  partners have highlighted that the Malaysian certification scheme is flawed, and national legislation in Malaysia protecting Orang Asli Indigenous People and wildlife is weak.

This important research makes clear the case for a robust Business, Human Rights & Environment Act to ensure UK companies prevent harm to communities and the environment in their global supply chains.

Many of you have stood in solidarity with Indigenous organisations Save Rivers and Keruan in our Planet Over Profit campaign to date (see below for a reminder).  

Those actions focused on Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. We’ve now we’ve turned our attention to the Malaysian Peninsular and are once again standing with people on the frontlines of deforestation and land rights abuses. Please help us to draw attention to this important issue by taking the actions below.

What can local action groups do to amplify the research and stand up for nature and communities?

1. Write to your local branch of the major timber retailers selling Malaysian timber. 

We’ve identified some key companies including  Howdens, and Lathams.  If these companies have a branch near you, invite them to sign your community open letter supporting a new Business, Human Rights & Environment Act. If you don’t already have an open letter, this is a great opportunity to start one. These companies are complying with existing legislation on imports, but use PEFC certification as a key indicator of the sustainability of the timber they’re buying. Use our template letter below so we can work with companies to call for a new law that would prevent harms to people and nature in supply chains. Having businesses support our campaign is a really powerful way to show the government that a new law is needed. And even if local branches don’t agree to sign, sharing our campaign with them helps build the pressure on businesses to make positive changes.

The following companies are selling tropical timber harvested in Malaysia and certified as sustainable. Some have branches all over the UK, others are in just one or two locations – in which case they’re a significant local company for you to target.  To find out if they have a branch near you, please search for them using an online map.

  • Leader Online
  • Howdens
  • Wood International Agency
  • International Plywood Importers Ltd*
  • Caledonian Plywood
  • Plaut International
  • Lathams
  • Travis Perkins

Dear XXX

We are writing today with regards to research recently published by Friends of the Earth, in partnership with RimbaWatch and Earthsight. We at [insert local Friends of the Earth group name here] were concerned by the research’s findings of systemic failures in the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), endorsed by the international Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). This means that timber linked to deforestation, Indigenous rights violations and the destruction of critically endangered tiger habitats in Malaysia is being certified as "sustainable" and potentially being imported and sold in the UK.

[insert timber company name here] were named in the report as having sourced timber from Peninsular Malaysia under this certification scheme, and we can imagine you are also disappointed to learn about the serious failings of the MTCS.  As the local branch [or, if they have the head office in their locality: as you are an important local company] of [insert name of timber company here], we invite you to sign our community open letter [link or attach your community open letter] calling on local MP [insert name here] to support a new Business, Human Rights & Environment Act. This new law would ensure UK companies protect communities and the environment from harm in their global supply chains and avoid situations like those identified in Malaysia.

Additionally, we would be grateful if you could advocate for your head office to sign up to the Good Business Matters pledge, which also demonstrates support for the new law.

Yours faithfully,

[Insert name and FoE group here]

2. Sign our petition calling for the government to launch an urgent investigation into Malaysian timber imports, and a new law to ensure UK companies prevent harm to communities and the environment in their global supply chains. Once you’ve signed, share the petition with your networks on social media channels [include link].

3. Share this research at your film screenings. This research makes the global to local connection by highlighting UK companies that import Malaysian timber to the UK under a supposedly “sustainable” certification scheme. Audiences at your local screenings of the film Sauvages would be interested to hear about the report and its findings, as it helps to show how we in the UK have a role to play in cleaning up supply chains. (It’s worth noting that the film takes place in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo whilst the report focusses on Peninsular Malaysia).

A reminder of our solidarity with Malaysian Indigenous activists to date


In 2023 we hosted Malaysian Indigenous activists from Sarawak and staged the spectacular Rainforest Funeral in the Tate Modern. Many groups subsequently took part in the ‘Stop the SLAPP’ action, supporting our coalition partners against a massive lawsuit by timber giant Samling.  Then a larger group of Indigenous activists came to the UK in 2025 to call for Indigenous land rights at COP30. Together, we organised Rainforest Lifelines events in London and Manchester in Spring, then took to the streets in solidarity during the COP30 with placards that said “we stand with forest defenders”.

 

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