1. All estate, mill workers and staff are provided with accommodation within the estate.

2. Married workers are allotted homes with two or three rooms, while unmarried ones occupy rooms within a house.

3. The image below shows the typical layout of the homes, recreational and commercial areas of Sime Darby Plantation estates going forward. These homes are provided with piped water and electricity.

1. Sime Darby Plantation continually invests in its workers, by providing on-the-job and off-the-job training. This includes technical areas as well as safety related topics.

2. Workers who leave the company at the end of their tenure for greener pastures are always better skilled than when they joined. They will now be equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge for further success.

3. In Liberia and Indonesia, Sime Darby Plantation’s estate managers are locals who will benefit from exposure to Sime Darby Plantation’s best agronomic practices. They will then pass on this knowledge to their fellow workers, who in turn will learn and apply these best practices.

Sime Darby Plantation workers’ wages are determined through a collective agreement with the unions concerned with the welfare of the workers in each country where it operates. This includes, for example, an additional month’s salary for workers before the Lebaran or Eid celebration in Indonesia.

1. Over and above the requirements of labour laws in Malaysia, Sime Darby Plantation extends its contributions with other benefits. These include supply of 10kg of rice monthly and 5kg of cooking oil bi-monthly.

2. Foreign workers reporting for duty for the first time in Malaysia will also be given a mobile phone starter kit with credit to facilitate communications with their families abroad.

3. In Liberia, two 50kg bags of rice are provided at a subsidised price to each employee every month.

Sime Darby Plantation recognises and appreciates the hard work and contribution of its workers. In addition to the benefits and facilities provided, special awards are given to outstanding performers and business units:

1. SOU Awards (Indonesia)
   The SOU Awards have been organised annually for more than 10 years. Estates and mills are rewarded with cash incentives for achieving excellent results.

2. Excellence Awards (Global)
   Similar to Indonesia’s SOU Awards, the Excellence Awards recognises excellence among all Sime Darby Plantation’s estates, mills and refineries and reward them with cash incentives.

3. Long Service Awards
   The Long Service Awards are given to employees who have served 20, 25, 30 and 35 years with Sime Darby Plantation. Cash rewards are given out at a specially organised dinner.

Employees form the backbone of Sime Darby’s operations, thus great care is taken to ensure their welfare and well-being.

1. Sime Darby Plantation currently employs more than 8,000 female workers in its estates and mills across Malaysia.

2. In supporting the fair and equal treatment of this group, Sime Darby Plantation implemented the Gender Policy Programme in 2008. The pilot phase of the programme was a collaborative effort between Sime Darby Plantation and Tenaganita, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to protecting the rights of women and migrants.

3. In 2010/11 alone, more than 500 employees participated in 14 engagement sessions.

Tuanku Nur Zahirah, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil with the children during the launch of the Child Protection Policy

Female workers at a Sime Darby Plantation taking a break

The Gender Policy Programme Aims To:

• Improve and uphold women’s rights, working conditions, housing and amenities, wages, safety and security, reproductive health and child care; and
• Prevent gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and domestic violence

The Programme Is Delivered Through The Following Channels:

• Workshops and engagement sessions conducted with women employees (English, Malay and Tamil);
• Social impact assessments; and
• Internal consultations

1. Increasing global concerns today on issues pertaining to child labour as well as children’s rights have led to the formulation of Sime Darby’s Child Protection Policy (CPP) Programme to raise awareness on issues pertaining to the safety, well-being and protection of children within Sime Darby’s business context. Via the programme, employees are empowered and encouraged to be effective child protectors influencing both business operations, and where practical, extending this beyond the working environment.

2. The programme was launched in 2009, and the pilot phase of CPP is now being rolled out in stages across the Sime Darby Group, starting with Sime Darby Plantation. Since the inception of the programme, more than 15 engagements have been completed involving participants and stakeholders from various backgrounds.

The Child Protection Policy Aims To:

• Create a workforce that is well-versed with issues relating to child safety and children’s rights
• Develop protocols and procedures to deal with reported and/or suspected cases of abuse
• Develop a support programme for children who have survived reported cases of abuse

The Employees Of The Company Are Engaged Through:

• Dialogues and interactive workshops
• Working visits to crèches in the estates
• Discussions with subject matter experts from Government Ministries and local NGOs
• CPP awareness workshops and discussions

1. Sime Darby Plantation recognises that while excellence in work is a component to success, a work-life balance must be maintained.

2. The company strives to provide its workers with the opportunities to excel and shine in other areas as well. These include sports and recreational activities, which have played an important part in providing a balanced working environment, and in aiding integration among employees:

Division Football Team

• Sime Darby Plantation FC, also known as ‘The Owls’, was established in early 2010 as part of efforts to further integrate the workers. In 2009, an inter-zone football tournament was created to unearth footballing talents among our estate and mill workers.

• The inaugural Tennamaram Cup resulted in 40 players being shortlisted for centralised training at Carey Island. In 2010, a 22-man squad was named (including five players from outside the company) and had a satisfying debut season in Kuala Lumpur FA’s Division 2.

• The Owls emerged as runners-up on goal difference after winning eight, drawing three and losing one game, and a secured promotion into Division 1 for the 2011/12 season. They also made a fairy tale run in their debut FA Cup competition, beating teams from the Premier League and Division 1 enroute to the semifinal, where they were beaten 1-0 by Premier League-side RHB FC. The team is currently playing in Kuala Lumpur FA’s Division 1, while the Tennamaram Cup is held biennially.

Battle Of The Bands

• In recognising the role that music can play in integration, the management mooted the idea of a competition to unearth musical talents from among our employees. As a result, ‘Battle of the Bands’ (BOTB) was born in 2009.

• BOTB saw the participation of six bands (North Zone, South Zone, Sabah, Sarawak, HQ and Indonesia) seeking to win the coveted cup and RM10,000 in cash. It was won by “Northern Connection” (representing the North Zone) in 2009, and “Darbian Revival” (representing Sabah) in 2010.

Other Sports Programmes

• Apart from Tennamaram Cup (football), Sime Darby Plantation has a full calendar year of sporting activities:

Inter-zone Tournaments:


The badminton team of Minamas Estate who won the Interzone badminton championship posing with their prizes. Also in the photo Mohd Ghozali Yahya, Head of Minamas
• Tennamaram Cup – football
• Dura Cup – netball
• Jomalina Cup – badminton
• Volleyball
• Futsal
• Sepak takraw

Open Tournaments:

• Pool & Darts
• 10-pin Bowling
• Lawn Bowl
• Golf
• Table Tennis
• Tennis

Back to top