Ayob Khan calls for caution on legalising ketum

 

Ayob Khan said the government is spending RM45 daily on 36,000 inmates at the drug rehabilitation centres nationwide.

KUALA LUMPUR: Several factors need to be studied before deciding to legalise the cultivation of hemp and ketum for medicinal purposes, including the costs of treating addicts, Bukit Aman said today.

Its narcotics criminal investigation department director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said, for instance, the government spends more than RM500 million a year for 36,000 drug addicts under the care of the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK).

“There are those who claim that by growing ketum, you can reap RM180 million a year.

“We have to look at the other costs that this can cause instead of just profits. There are 130,000 drug addicts in the country, and around 36,000 are undergoing rehabilitation programmes at AADK.

“The average cost of maintaining one inmate there is RM45 daily. In a year, that’s more than RM500 million,” he said at a media conference at Bukit Aman today.

Ayob Khan said the government has to amend certain laws such as the Poisons Act 1952 and the National Land Code to allow for these drugs to be legalised.

“There are states that don’t allow the growing of ketum while some allow it. Growing ketum is not wrong, but harvesting, processing and selling ketum is illegal.

“The land issue is under the state governments, so they have to amend their respective land laws, too,” he said.

Yesterday, deputy communications and multimedia minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the Cabinet had given its approval to allow the cultivation of hemp and ketum for medicinal purposes.

He said the demand for hemp and ketum was high in the international market.

However, Zahidi reminded the public not to be confused as the green light was meant for medical needs, not recreational use. - FMT