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KANGAR: Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man has urged the state assemblymen and the public to play their part in raising public awareness on the dangers of ketum misuse.
He said the involvement of the assemblymen and the public was seen as a more effective step rather than relying solely on law enforcement.
“Cooperation from the public is very important as they can alert the authority and the community about the dangers of misusing ketum,” he said in reply to a question from Azam Karap (PKR-Kuala Perlis) in an oral question-and-answer session at the state assembly sitting here today.
He said relevant authorities such as the Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) and the police had taken action in enforcing the ban on the sale of ketum leaves’ products.
“In 2017, Aksem has successfully foiled 92 cases involving ketum estimated to be worth RM544,104 and the seizures increased to RM1.12 million last year,” he said.
Azlan said the police had also established the Perlis Narcotics Nucleus Secretariat and enhanced cooperation with other departments to implement integrated operations by focusing on high-risk areas.
“The police has also set up a special hotline to receive public complaints as well as working with the Thai authorities to address attempts to smuggle ketum leaves across the border,” he said. — Bernama
