During the first week of the year , I was rather amused to hear about the raid on a house in Taman Yew Lai during the wee hours of the morning , where four police personnel were caught drinking ketum juice . They are now being investigated under Section 30 ( 3 ) of the Poisons Act 1952 .

Another interesting development was the reappointment of Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad as the Health Minister in the most recent Cabinet reshuffle . And the issue of his promise to make ketum an important natural health product and supplement through the amendment to the Poisons Act 1952 resurfaced .

Over the last decade , this issue has become prominent in scientific and academic circles . A video on his statement regarding this issue when he was Minister of Health in 2019 was re-circulated in social media .

About two years ago , in March 2022 , there was a call by the Bandar Baharu Assemblywoman during the debate in the Kedah State Assembly for the state and federal government to decide on the status of the planting of ketum under a relevant Act . She noted that based on research undertaken , there was still no decision on the status of ketum .

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While the Act is meant to ensure the proper control of any abuse of ketum as a substance , it was also meant for the proper planning of the planting and usage of ketum for various types of ailments as well as developing products for health sustenance and cures .

She pointed out that Kedah has the largest number of ketum plantations in the country totaling 115 hectares of which a majority of them are in the Padang Terap area with 47,500 trees . In Pendang itself there are

30,000 trees , while in the Sik area there are 3,300 trees . Baling has 1,000 ketum trees , Kulim 1,310 trees and Langkawi has 670 trees . These statistics show that ketum plants have exceeded the area planted with fruit trees .

There was also a call from the then Kedah Menteri Besar for the Federal government to permit the state to export ketum to Thailand , where it is legal for medicinal purposes . He had already directed the state economic planning unit to arrange engagement sessions with all relevant state agencies to prepare a proposal to the federal government on this issue . We have yet to see any outcome on this .

According to the Poisons Act 1952 , the planting of ketum is not an offence but the harvesting , processing and distribution is an offence punishable by law . There has also been an increase in smuggling of ketum leaves to neighbouring Thailand where it can fetch as high as RM30 per kilogram .

However , according to the latest information from sources , these smuggling activities have decreased because the Thais have planted ketum to obtain their own supplies . Nonetheless , the leaves are highly in demand in Malaysia and the processing and supply of ketum juice is believed to be available if one has the right contacts .

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Mind you “ ketum Malaya ” has a global reputation as the best there is , yet it is illegal under the Poisons Act 1952 . It is time the law be reviewed as all signs point to an economically viable plant not just to help farmers to supplement their income but creating a health industry in which Malaysia can be one of the major players .

According to Dr Dzulkefly the Health Ministry is still in the process of amending Act 366 to include the control of psychoactive plants which includes ketum . There will also be regulations related to the planting of ketum to avoid abuses on its use and to control and provide clear guidelines on its processes for medication and research .

It is indeed a complex issue but one thing for sure is there are many health benefits

from this product , otherwise other countries around the world not have begun to produce or process them for products in the health industry .

In the past , the former Chairman of RISDA Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin , who was also the former Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister said , the country needs to use ketum as an important resource to develop and to play a major role in the health and medical industry . It has the potential for example , to be developed as a pain killer besides contributing to the supplement of income for farmers and rural folks .

Research has already been conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia , the Poisons Department and the National Anti-Drugs Agency ( AADK ) which shows its potential in the industry including ways to manage drug abuse .

When we look at the illegal processing , distribution and consumption of ketum juice , the amendment to the Act will help to resolve the issue of abuse and control .

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In another recent incident , Brickfields police in Kuala Lumpur announced the arrest of six police personnel in a raid on a house in Jalan Puchong on Jan 4 , 2024 . Ketum leaves weighing 18 kilogrammes and 13,500 ml of ketum juice valued at RM420 were confiscated . Processing equipment was also confiscated .

A spokesman from Koperasi Pencinta Herba , who has been working with the relevant players in Thailand and various bodies in Malaysia , said that MARDI has come up with plans to engage with farmers under a framework to plant , harvest and process them into products to initially market them internationally and later for the domestic market once the law is amended . Discussions are still ongoing in preparation for its eventual legalisation .

Anyway , netizens and herbal industry players generally felt that as ketum is a well-renowned national product consumed by the Malays for hundreds of years for health benefits , it is high time that the Act be amended . It would even complement some of the drugs the established pharmaceutical industry players produced .

Mind you , the Poisons Act of 1953 was enacted during colonial times , and one cannot help but wonder why it is taking such a long time for it to be reviewed and amended for the benefit of the nation .

Every form of food , drink and drugs have the potential for abuse , such as in the consumption of beer and alcohol , but there are laws to control them . The industry has thrived , and with taxation , it brings revenue to the country . And our home grown ketum has the same potential for the health industry . – The HEALTH

��FFEREN� STROKES

BY A�� �A�R�A�

ADI SATRIA , a media and communications industry veteran , feels that laws related to food drinks and health enacted to meet the political and economic needs of a colonial era must be reviewed based on newly discovered ��������� �������� ����� can potentially bring ������� �� ��� �������