In debating the 12th Malaysia Plan, Dr Azman Ismail (PH-Kuala Kedah) said the government needed to look towards investing and growing high-impact crops to increase its revenue and also developing rural areas.
Azman said ketum had long been neglected in Malaysia although it is now being used worldwide to treat recovering drug addicts as well as patients suffering from neuralgic pain.
“The best ketum in the world grows in the northern region of the peninsula: Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan. But we have not allowed what could be beneficial to us to be planted widely and sold.
“Who gets the revenue? Our ketum is smuggled to Thailand, which they then market as Thai kratom. Now, Thailand dominates the ketum market in the US and Europe.
“After marketing it globally and acquiring buyers and the market, they have removed ketum from their list of dangerous drugs,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the herbal medicine market was worth RM418 billion as of last year and was set to increase by 16% annually. By 2026, the market is expected to be worth RM629 billion, he said.
He maintained that he was not supporting the abuse of ketum leaves, but the use and selling of the plant as a medical herb should be encouraged.
Azman said the government could enact an act specific to the farming and trade of ketum, suggesting that licences be issued for the planting and sale of the leaves.
“We can act against those who plant ketum without a licence and destroy the crop. If we market ketum as a medical herb, Putrajaya will be able to obtain a good amount of revenue,” he said.
He also said ketum was a stimulant unlike heroin or morphine, which were synthetic drugs, adding that it was a high-impact herb, even greater than ginseng.
“If we free the police of chasing down trivial ketum cases, they can then focus their efforts on tackling the abuse of synthetic drugs that are more dangerous.
“On the other hand, ketum can help treat morphine and heroin addicts. That’s called substitution therapy.”
Azman’s call comes just a week after Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Independent-Muar) urged Putrajaya to look into approving hemp and medical marijuana farming, pointing to its economic and health benefits.
The former youth and sports minister said the current hemp and medical marijuana market was worth RM60 billion and would benefit those struggling with certain mental health illnesses such as bipolar disorder.