However, cooking glutinous rice with the use of the pitcher plants has raised anxiety among conservationists and nature lovers because a continuous harvest of the plant may lead to the extinction of the plant species.

Universiti Pertanian Malaysia lecturer Dr K Daljit Singh said should the pitcher plants continue to be sold, the authorities should immediately study the best way to preserve the plant from being threatened with extinction.

“This is not something new … there must be enforcement and if the people think selling pitcher plants help increase their income, then the authorities should also step up replanting activities.

“This is to ensure the population of pitcher plants will not be affected and the types of species which are being threatened should be public knowledge so that people will be able to differentiate them when buying the plants from traders,” said Daljit, who also specialises in forest rehabilitation.

The issue was raised on social media by Prof. Emeritus Abdul Latiff Mohamad, a research fellow of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and lecturer in botany and biological conservation. He expressed his concern about recent reports of a widespread harvest of the pitcher plants.

Abdul Latif described as “irrelevant” the claim by the traders that their actions would not threaten the population of pitcher plants. He said only those with the Forestry Research Institute and experts at universities could assess the threats to the survival of the endangered species.