KUALA LUMPUR: Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin proposed during an online podcast that the government could look into the prospect of allowing for the export of ketum leaves to countries where consumption of the substance is legal.
Khairy said exporting ketum leaves to countries such as the United States, which he claimed has a billion dollar ketum industry where it is known as Kratom, could help the government in generating much needed revenue instead of destroying such plants.
The former Rembau member of parliament also suggested that the government could set up a ketum board to ensure that locally-produced ketum by smallholders is regulated and cultivated for export purposes only.
"Since there are other countries that allow for the use of ketum, I do not see any issue if we were to export it. We must establish strict procedures, such as only allowing the ketum board to purchase, procure and process the leaves for export.
"Smallholders can sell their products and generate healthy additional income every month instead of getting arrested by police for committing the offence of being in possession of ketum leaves," he said during the Keluar Sekejap (KS) podcast.
"If we were to go to the Northern states and destroy all the Ketum trees and plants there, believe me, you are going to lose the election there. This is not a question of politics, because the Ketum trees and plants are already there... their trees and plants on their land, and perhaps they are already selling it quietly there," he said.
Khairy also revealed that a study on the use of ketum leaves for medicinal purposes was being conducted during his tenure as health minister.
In Malaysia, it is an offence to possess ketum leaves or ketum drinks because it contains mitragynine, which is listed as a controlled substance under the Poisons Act.
In May last year, the Kedah Economic Planning Division revealed that it had completed its proposal to seek federal approval to legalise the export of ketum leaves.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor had said that the proposal would be discussed by the state executive council before being presented to the federal government.
In November last year, Sanusi had stated during the run up to the 15th General Election that the Kedah state government would pursue efforts to seek the federal government's approval to export ketum leaves to Thailand as part of efforts to elevate the people's economy.
Sanusi had said it would be wiser for the government to legalise the export of ketum leaves instead of the plant being misused by locals.
In January, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the government would deliberate on the possibility of cannabis and ketum leaves for medicinal purposes if they were to be legalised, specifically seeing as to whether it is appropriate to grow, process and later sell such products under the conditions of controlled items.