GE15: Kedah aims to get consent to export ‘ketum’ if PN wins

PENDANG - Kedah will continue efforts to obtain consent to export ketum leaves to Thailand if Perikatan Nasional (PN) is given a mandate in the 15th General Election (GE15).

Kedah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said that his administration would continue to seek consent from the federal government to assist in order to boost the state’s economic situation.

Sanusi said he was convinced that Kedah's wishes would be fulfilled by PN’s Prime Minister candidate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to help the farmers.

"We'll do our best to make it happen. I have no doubt that the federal government will take this issue into consideration.

“We live in a poor nation; if you sell ketum here for RM30 per kilogramme, if we smuggle it to Thailand it becomes RM150 per kilogramme.

"That's why we want to allow the export of this ketum (legally), the other day was close to being (allowed) but they dissolved the Parliament," he said when speaking at the launching ceremony of the PN Best and Kedah State PN Manifesto at the Pendang Convention Centre (PCC) here Monday night.

Also present was PN Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Sanusi said many Pendang residents who have grown ketum crops could become millionaires if the practice had previously been permitted.

He explained that the consent to export ketum leaves to other was is seen as a way to stop the plant from being smuggled or used improperly.

He stated that, for instance, if ketum was permitted to be exported to the country concerned, Thailand would process the plant into medicine or a nutritious drink.

Sanusi said there was a case of a person who died after falling into a ravine while evading law enforcement and was thought to be smuggling ketum leaves.

However, he said, the death of the individual involved could have been avoided if ketum leaves were allowed to be exported to Thailand since Kedah has a lot of the raw material.

He said the license to export ketum leaves was proposed to be given to a subsidiary of the state government or a certain company so that it can be controlled if the government gave the consent.

"Not only Pendang people can become millionaires, even Sik and Padang Terap people can also be rich, but those who have yet to plant, don't plant, wait first," he said.

Last March, the Federal government was reported to have proposed to allow Kedah to legally export ketum to Thailand.

Caption: Kedah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor when speaking at the Launching Ceremony of the BEST PN and Kedah State PN Manifesto at the Pendang Convention Center (PCC) on Monday night