Here’s Why We’re the Official Sustainability Partner of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2025 (RWMF)

SD Guthrie International is proud to be the Official Sustainability Partner of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2025. This partnership is rooted in shared values:

 

  1. Preserving cultural heritage
  2. Protecting biodiversity
  3. Empowering local communities


RWMF provides a global stage for sustainable celebration, and SDGI is honoured to walk alongside it.

 

We’re also introducing the Palm Oil-Powered Circular Kitchen Initiative, a closed-loop system that turns used cooking oil into new value, reflecting our commitment to responsible production and a circular economy.

 

At the festival’s Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS), Elaine Chan, our Head of Climate Change and Reporting, will speak on youth-driven climate resilience, connecting our leadership in sustainability with tomorrow’s changemakers.

 

Because when it comes to palm oil, we believe in responsibility, transparency, and positive impact.

 

Not All Palm Oil Is Created Equal.

 

Sarawak Cultural Village
June 20 – 22, 2025

SD Guthrie International Delivers First Shipment of EUDR-Compliant Palm Oil Ahead of New Rules

SD Guthrie International (SDGI), formerly known as Sime Darby Oils, has delivered its first shipments of 40,250 metric tons (MT) of palm oil to Europe and the United Kingdom, that is fully compliant with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

 

The landmark pilot shipment of 24,250 metric tons (MT) of palm oil, traceable and verified to meet stringent deforestation-free standards, arrived last week at SDGI’s Zwijndrecht Refinery in the Netherlands. Another shipment of 16,000 metric tons (MT) arrived at SDGI’s Liverpool Refinery in the United Kingdom today.

 

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of one of the world’s largest producers of certified sustainable palm oil – SD Guthrie Berhad (SD Guthrie), formerly Sime Darby Plantation Berhad – this milestone marks a major achievement in SDGI’s commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil, aligning with the evolving regulations in the EU market. The shipment, sourced from 102,337 hectares (ha) of oil palm plantations and smallholder farms within SD Guthrie’s supply chain, reflects the entire group’s efforts to build sustainable and resilient sources while enabling more palm oil producers to participate in the EU deforestation-free supply chain.

 

Dr Shariman Alwani, SDGI’s Chief Executive Officer said: “As the European market moves toward stricter sustainability requirements, we are proud to be at the forefront of delivering palm oil that meets the highest environmental standards. SD Guthrie International’s commitment to source from deforestation-free supply chains enables us to continue offering our customers products that not only comply with regulations but also contribute to a more sustainable future for all stakeholders.”

 

To achieve EUDR compliance, SDGI worked closely with SD Guthrie’s upstream division to ensure that detailed polygon maps and deforestation-free assessments of all plantations that meet stringent EUDR definitions were available. By utilising satellite imagery and partnering with a third-party verifier, SD Guthrie has been able to assess a forest baseline covering six (6) billion ha and analysed around 600,000 ha of its plantations for deforestation risks. These efforts were supported by comprehensive audit reports that also documented adherence to national legislation, International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards, and respect for native customary rights.

 

SD Guthrie established its No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation policy in 2016. Supporting this policy, Dr Shariman said SDGI has been utilising Crosscheck since 2019, an online traceability tool that maps its palm oil from source to supply. The tool allows traders and buyers to pinpoint where issues may arise in the supply chain and raise alerts for corrective action to be taken. This, he said, will help SDGI ensure that its supply chain continue to adhere to the new EU rules.

 

“Our commitment to adhering to the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) goes beyond compliance. We view this as an opportunity to continuously improve our practices, ensuring that our supply chains remain transparent, traceable, and aligned with the global shift towards responsible sourcing. SD Guthrie International is fully committed to staying ahead of the evolving regulations, reinforcing our role as a trusted partner in delivering sustainable palm oil to Europe.”

 

Under imminent EUDR rules, starting December 30, products being exported into the EU including palm oil, soya, wood, coffee, cattle, cocoa and rubber require conclusive and verifiable proof they are not linked to deforestation at any point in the supply chain.

Sime Darby Plantation Rebrands to SD Guthrie

The new ‘SD Guthrie’ brand has been approved by shareholders of Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SD Plantation or the Company) at its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held earlier today.

 

At the EGM, which was held immediately after the conclusion of the 21st Annual General Meeting of SD Plantation, shareholders’ approval was sought on the proposed change of the Company’s name. The Special Resolution was duly passed with extremely overwhelming support from shareholders, 99.99% of whom voted in favour of the proposal.

 

Approximately 80% of SD Plantation is owned by major Malaysian institutions, including Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP), Kumpulan Wang Persaraan [Diperbadankan] (KWAP), Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH), and Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO).

 

“Today’s resounding endorsement echoes the trust and confidence our shareholders have in us,” said SD Plantation’s Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Nik Norzrul Thani Nik Hassan Thani. “The SD Guthrie brand carries much significance for us as an organisation, and I am delighted that we will embark on the next chapter of our 200-year history with this storied brand.”

 

The Company expresses its sincere gratitude to its shareholders, employees, customers and all its stakeholders for their continued support as it embarks on this exciting transformation. The proposed new brand has been submitted to the Companies Commission of Malaysia for approval.

 

The SD Guthrie brand pays homage to two great brands in the Malaysian plantation industry – Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad and Sime Darby Plantation Berhad. The Guthrie name is synonymous with one of the most audacious and successful moves made by PNB. In 1981, PNB executed a dawn raid on the London Stock Exchange, and in four hours was able to wrest control of Guthrie, bringing one of the giants of the industry under Malaysian control. In 2007, the Guthrie and Sime Darby groups merged with the Golden Hope Plantations Berhad, creating a much-enlarged Sime Darby Group. The largest division of the Sime Darby Group was SD Plantation.

 

SD Plantation was listed as a standalone company on Bursa Malaysia on 30 November 2017. This 2017 demerger of the Sime Darby group resulted in three listed “Sime Darby” companies, namely, Sime Darby Berhad, Sime Darby Property Berhad and SD Plantation. This situation often created confusion in the market as all three companies shared the same brand and logo. Another consideration was the fact that the “Sime Darby” brand is owned and controlled by Sime Darby Berhad. SD Plantation was a licensee under a Brand and Trademark Licensing Agreement, paying an annual fee for the right to use the brand. As a licensee, SD Plantation was required to seek Sime Darby Berhad’s permission and approval as the brand owner, on the uses and applications of the brand.

 

“As SD Guthrie, we will continue to drive long-term value for our stakeholders. We are exploring exciting new growth opportunities in adjacent sectors, in line with our values and purpose,” said SD Plantation’s Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha. On 7 May 2024, SD Plantation announced its plans to co-develop the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park in Perak, Malaysia, in collaboration with PNB, the Federal Government and the State of Perak. The plan also involves the establishment of 660 acres of solar farms as the principal green energy source for the area.

 

The new SD Guthrie logo will be unveiled soon.

 

The Company will trade on the Malaysian bourse as Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (Stock Code: 5285) until the registration and approval of the application of the new name are concluded through the Companies Commission of Malaysia.

SD Guthrie International Brings Home Two Awards for #GetMoving Challenge.

Less than a year ago, employees of SD Guthrie International (SDO) across the globe broke some serious sweat in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle during the pandemic, in a fun-filled 30–day ‘virtual run’ campaign called the #GetMoving Challenge, in line with our Culture of Care initiatives.

This global event, joined by thousands of our employees worldwide, provided contributions to not only the health of our employees, but to the welfare of our communities in the countries we operate in by raising donations funds to underprivileged societies.

Through this campaign, SD Guthrie International was nominated as a finalist in the PR Awards 2022 (Southeast Asia) by Marketing-Interactive, which was held in Shang-ri La Hotel Singapore on 13 May 2022.

Bagging home two awards, SD Guthrie International has received the following:

  • Best Use of Advocate (Gold)
  • Best Employee Engagement/Internal Communication (Bronze)

Receiving the awards live on stage were SD Guthrie International’ Head of Corporate Services, Shahrizan Aini Shamsul Khalil, Senior Manager of Value & Stakeholder Management, Mazlinda Mohamed and Manager of Corporate Branding, Elly Kartereena Ahmad Kamal.

On behalf of the SD Guthrie International management team, we would like to thank all of our employees who have made this possible and do expect bigger and greater things for the next #GetMoving Challenge!

Morakot Wins Superbrands Thailand 2021 Award

Another win for the books!

 

SD Guthrie International Morakot Public Co. Ltd has won the Superbrands Thailand 2021 Award for its 8th consecutive year!

 

We would like to thank the people of Thailand for their support towards the products of SD Guthrie International.

 

With this Superbrands Status, SD Guthrie International provides an assurance to our consumers that they are buying only the best from us.

Morakot secured two prestigious awards

Hitting two birds with one stone is a feat few could achieve, but SD Guthrie International Morakot Public Limited says otherwise!

 

Bringing home two separate awards, Morakot has won the Thai Food and Drug Administration Quality Award 2021 for Best Food Manufacturer, setting an example for quality standard, good governance, and social responsibility business.

 

Other than that, marking its seventh consecutive win for the annual No.1 Brand Thailand Award, they were also awarded Marketeer Magazine’s the most popular brand of ‘Cooking Oil’ segment for year 2020-2021.

 

SD Guthrie International is proud of the milestones we have achieved in 2021 and will continue to pave the way in delivering quality and sustainable products to our valued customers globally.

Sime Darby Oil OKU Sentral’s Drive Through Vaccination Center

On 16 June 2021, SD Guthrie International volunteered to be a helping hand at OKU Sentral’s Drive-through Vaccination Centre (PPV) here at the Sime Darby Plantation Tower in Ara Damansara.

 

A collaborative partnership with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Ministry of Health (MoH) and OKU Sentral, the programme saw 60 people with disabilities and 20 of their carers receiving their first vaccination dose on launch day.

 

The programme’s venue and logistics are provided by our upstream operations, Sime Darby Plantation and assisted by Yayasan Sime Darby and Ara Damansara Medical Centre.

 

A special thank you and appreciation to all of our volunteers, medical personnel from various organizations namely Protect Health, The People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA), OKU Sentral and our employees who had volunteered to help.

 

With this initiative, we hope to help to ease the vaccination process for the 13,500 registered recipients and their carers over the next few months.

Graduates Accelerated Programme 2021 Intake

We are excited to welcome our new batch of Graduate Accelerated Programme (GAP) trainees and hope to see them thrive in their 2-year career journey with SD Guthrie International.

 

Offering an exciting journey that rewards and fulfils the dreams of budding professionals, SD Guthrie International provides a platform to dynamic and vibrant young talents in accelerating their career path through our Graduate Accelerated Programme (GAP).

SD Guthrie International Partnered with University Kebangsaan Malaysia

SD Guthrie International (SDO) is working with University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to conduct a two years clinical trial on the therapeutic approach of tocotrienols for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This represents the very first collaboration between SDO and UKM in the medical field involving a commutable disease called the NAFLD.

 

Reference: NST, The Star