Kedah MB hopes Muhyiddin will allow ketum export if PN wins GE15

GE15 | Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor hopes the export of ketum overseas will be allowed by the federal government if Perikatan Nasional (PN) were to win in this 15th general election.

He said he had raised this issue multiple times but there was no time to implement it before Parliament was dissolved.

As he criticised the RM30 e-wallet incentive by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, Sanusi (above) said that amount is equal to the price of a kilogram of ketum.

“If you smuggle to (Thailand), you can get RM150, so that’s why I said we have to allow the export of ketum.

“We were close to getting it that day, but (Parliament) dissolved. If not, everyone in Pendang would be a millionaire.

“InsyaAllah, we will work on this issue until it happens, because we have planted them, so there’s no way we would cut them down,” Sanusi said in his speech at a PN Best ceramah in Pendang, Kedah last night.

It is not a crime to plant ketum, he added, but it is a crime to harvest and sell it.

Hence, he wants to allow the export of the plant or he warned that people might harvest it for their own use at home.

Thailand has the technology

Sanusi said he wants to sell it to Thailand as the neighbouring country has the technology to make pills, medicine, health drinks and so on with the plant.

“We have a lot of the raw material but we are not allowed to sell them,” he said.

Also present at the ceramah last night were PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin and PN candidate for Pendang, Awang Hashim.

As such, Sanusi, who is also PAS election director, said he hopes if PN wins GE15 and Muhyiddin becomes prime minister, the federal government would allow the export of ketum.

“I hope that when export is allowed, a licence can be given to a subsidiary company of the state government or any company to buy here and export. We will realise the potential of the industry.

With the federal government’s oversight, there will be regulations and legislation to control the industry in the future, as opposed to right now, he said.

“InsyaAllah, this will happen, we have spoken about it many times. They said ‘MB that is ketum, let it go’. I think the people of Pendang can sell (the ketum as) it has already been planted,” Sanusi said.

Tuan Ibrahim urges Rafizi to lodge MACC report over RM2b tender claim

Maszlee turns multilingual to canvass for votes, channels Rajinikanth

Harapan, PN field Siamese candidate in Perlis

Ramanan to KJ: Explain ECM Libra issue, don't beat around the bush

Rafizi: Anwar and I have differences, but we agree on 'no Zahid'

Day 4 | Perak DAP modifies billboard after getting complaints

'We might not vote along party line' - Sungai Buloh voters in dilemma

GE15: KDM supporters urged to be patient, not emotional

BN manifesto: Employees to get birthday leave as token of appreciation

Absolute poverty to be eradicated, BN vows in manifesto