KUALA NERANG, March 26 — Smallholders under the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) may stand to benefit if the federal government allows the export of ketum (Mitragyna speciosa) leaves.

Minister of Rural Development, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said it would not be an offence for rubber smallholders to plant ketum to generate supplementary income if the export of ketum leaves is lawful.

"If it is legal and can bring an income why not? If a sale of one kilogramme of ketum leaves can bring tens of ringgits and it is valid in the eye of the law, I don’t think it is an offence,” he said.

He said this after attending a ‘2022 Padang Terap Risda Prihatin Pekebun Kecil Makmur’ programme here today.

He was asked to comment on a suggestion by Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, recently who urged the federal government to allow the state to export ketum leaves specifically to Thailand for medicinal purposes.

Mahdzir said the federal government must make a decision on the status of ketum since many studies had been conducted on the benefits of its leaves for medicinal purposes.

"But let the Ministry of Health deal with that. I think, we should wait and see what the government decides when the time comes,” he said.

Currently, there are about 552,000 Risda smallholders nationwide with 1.1 million hectares under rubber.

On the Risda Prihatin programme, Mahdzir said 330 school students from rubber smallholder families in the district received schooling aid involving RM66,000.

"Risda helps as best as it can in easing the burden of the smallholder communities to prepare for their children’s schooling,” he said.

Also present was Risda (Development) deputy director-general, Ali Sabuddin Abd Samad. — Bernama