Bending the Truth: Proposed rubber plantation in Papua New Guinea yields questionable returns

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, controlled by the Joinland Group, is using a purported rubber plantation project on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, as a cover for illegal logging. The investigation finds that the company has failed to plant the promised millions of rubber trees, has bypassed provincial government rejections of its permits, and has operated without legitimate landowner consent. The report links the destruction of this biodiversity hotspot to financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and notes that the harvested timber is exported to China and Japan.

• The Pohowa Integrated Agro-Forestry Project on Manus Island is likely a cover for illegal logging rather than a genuine rubber plantation. While Maxland (PNG) Limited committed to planting between three and five million rubber trees, satellite imagery as of January 2020 showed less than 100 hectares of clearance for planting, while approximately 1,000 hectares underwent selective logging of valuable hardwoods.
• Maxland (PNG) Limited appears to have obtained its clearance permit illegally by bypassing the provincial approval process. The Manus Provincial Forest Management Committee rejected the project due to land disputes and overlaps with community conservation zones, but the PNG National Forest Board overruled this decision and issued the permit in December 2017.
• The project has violated the Papua New Guinea Forestry Act through a lack of landowner consent and a failure to conduct the required land demarcation process. This has resulted in the logging of conservation areas designated by indigenous communities and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
• Maxland (PNG) Limited is controlled by the Joinland Group, led by Malaysian businessman Dato’ Sri Thomas Hah Tiing Siu. The report notes a pattern of similar behavior in New Ireland Province, where Joinland (PNG) Ltd exported over $50 million in timber from agricultural leases on New Hanover island without producing any rubber.
• The illegal logging operation is supported by a global financial network. Joinland Capital SDN. BHD. received over £3 million in financing from Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), CIMB Bank Berhad, and United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) BHD. These banks are in turn supported by major global investors, including Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global and BlackRock.
• The environmental impact of the logging includes the destruction of a biodiversity hotspot and the degradation of marine ecosystems. Silt from deforested areas is flowing into rivers and smothering coral reefs, which affects the cultivation of giant clams and fish used for local protein.
• Timber from the Manus operation has been exported to China and Japan, specifically to Ningbo Hong Guang Decorate Materials Co. Ltd and the Sojitz Corporation. China is the largest buyer of PNG timber, purchasing 86% of exports in 2019.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Bending the Truth: Proposed rubber plantation in Papua New Guinea yields questionable returns. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/bending-the-truth/

Chicago

Global Witness. Bending the Truth: Proposed rubber plantation in Papua New Guinea yields questionable returns. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/bending-the-truth/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Bending the Truth: Proposed rubber plantation in Papua New Guinea yields questionable returns |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/bending-the-truth/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndbending, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Bending the Truth: Proposed rubber plantation in Papua New Guinea yields questionable returns}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/bending-the-truth/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }