The recent shooting incident at the Malaysia-Thailand border has opened the public’s eyes once again to an inherent problem Malaysia has faced for decades – ketum.

Investigations on the incident that cost the life of a Malaysian General Operation Force (GOF) officer found that smugglers barter drugs from Thailand in exchange for ketum leaves from Malaysia.

Along the same border in October, security forces under Op Benteng once seized 2,250 kilogrammes of ketum leaves worth more than RM96,000.

Packs of ketum leaves found by authorities in Padang Besar to be smuggled to Thailand – Astro AWANI

Whereas earlier this year, a farmer from Kedah reportedly made a gross income of about RM60,000 per month just from selling ketum water.

Civilians aren’t the only ones involved in this lucrative business as the Bukit Aman Integrity and Compliance Standard (JIPS) has also detected the involvement of police personnel in the processing and selling of ketum water.

What is ketum?

Ketum or its scientific name, Mitragyna speciose, is a plant in the coffee family historically used in herbal medicine. It is indigenous to several countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea.

Ketum or its scientific name, Mitragyna speciose, is a plant in the coffee family historically used in herbal medicine. - foto BERNAMA

In Malaysia, ketum can be found in abundance in the northern states and east coast of the Peninsular, growing wild in the forest areas and surrounding villages. The Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) areas specifically have become a hotspot where ketum trees are planted in abundance.

Ketum leaves have been traditionally used to expel wind in the body and increase energy.

The water from ketum leaves is also being used as a traditional medicine to treat certain illnesses such as back pain, fever, cough and worm disease as well as a cure for diabetes, high blood pressure, amongst others.

Misuse of ketum

Ketum leaf water has been misused by many as it contains psychoactive substances mitragynine which can have stimulant, sedative and euphoria effects that can lead to addiction.

The ketum leaves are typically boiled to produce a ketum drink which is usually packed in small packets to be sold to consumers.

Ketum drink is usually packed in small packets to be sold to consumers. – Astro AWANI

Consuming ketum leaves can have several effects:
Law against ketum

Ketum is generally considered as narcotic drugs and has already been banned for domestic consumption in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

That said, ketum is still widely exported both legally and illegally.
Data from 2016 showed that some 400 tonnes of ketum were exported from South East Asia to the United States monthly, with the business worth about US$130 million (RM529 million) annually.
Police raided a ketum laboratory in Alor Setar. - Astro AWANI

For several years, the government has tried to find a solution to the ketum problem which includes the banning of the plant entirely in the country citing concerns regarding its misuse that could serve as a gateway to further drug problems.

Beginning September 30th, police have also begun cutting down ketum trees planted in FELDA areas in Perlis and warned settlers that their land rights could be taken away from them if they continue to plant ketum trees.