LANGKAWI: Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today criticised the Pas-led state government for making the call for ketum export to be legalised.
The Langkawi member of Parliament said ketum plants should not be exported for profit.
"What is the purpose for us to export ketum? Is it just because we want to make a lot of money? Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, so should Muslims export pigs to Thailand? Muslims are prohibited from consuming alcohol, so should Muslims sell alcohols? What is more to export them?
"If ketum (abuse) can intoxicate people, then we must not sell ketum," he told reporters after presenting Ramadan goods to underprivileged families at Masjid Nur Al Naim in Makam Mahsuri here, today.
Mahathir urged the state government to find other plants that are more suitable for cultivation in Kedah.
"Please find other ways to earn a living, there are many other crops out there that we can cultivate," he said.
He said ketum plants should only be exploited for medical purposes by established pharmaceutical companies.
"We should engage companies that are experts in extracting chemicals from the ketum plants to be processed into pills (for medical purposes).
"But still, they should only be given as prescriptions. If you take more than what has been prescribed to you, you can get intoxicated and even worse, die from overdose," he said.
Dr Mahathir was responding to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's recent calls for the federal government to legalise ketum export to Thailand as it could be developed into a lucrative industry.
Sanusi was reported as saying that there was a high demand among pharmaceutical companies for ketum plants from Kedah in Thailand, which could fetch up to RM150 per kilogramme, compared to RM30 per kg in the local market here.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said despite the market demand, there were no plans to legalise ketum exports to neighbouring countries.
Due to the current legislation against ketum in the country, Hamzah said the government would not allow it for the time being.
The proposal had raised objections by state Opposition leaders who argued that legalising ketum export would only aggravate ketum abuse among Malaysians especially in Kedah.
Last week, Sanusi clarified that he had never called for ketum abuse in the country to be allowed when he made a call for its export to be legalised.
He pointed out that ketum abuse and legalising its export were two separate matters.
Sanusi said he had instructed the state Economic Planning Unit to work on the proposal before submitting it to the federal government.