The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry has no plans to make ketum as one of the country's commodity products.

Its Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said although the matter was also raised in the previous government, it was still being discussed by the Health Ministry.

"There are positive and negative sides to ketum and it is best that the Health Ministry solve issues over it first.

"The ministry's focus now is to empower existing commodity products such as oil palm, rubber, timber, cocoa and kenaf first before going for a bigger direction," he told reporters after visiting PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin here yesterday.

-- BERNAMA