INDIA AND M'SIA COOPERATE TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH INTO NATURAL HERBS AT FRIM

V.SANKARA

SHAH ALAM (Selangor, Malaysia), Dec 18 (Bernama) -- India is willing to
cooperate with Malaysia to explore and tap the potentials of natural herbs in
the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

Malaysian Society For Complementary Medicine president Dr Lee Chee Peng, said
that for a start, he had invited National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM) in
Bangalore, India to undertake research into natural herbs, which has the
potential of becoming traditional medicine, at the institute.

"FRIM has many natural herbs and India can do a lot of research at the institute
to explore the potentials of natural herbs in becoming traditional medicine.
India is noted for its traditional herbs and has the necessary skills and
expertise to undertake research.

"Although many people use traditional medicine in Malaysia, it is not fully
exploited especially in research and development," he told Bernama.

Dr Lee said he had extended the invitation to NIUM when he attended as a guest
at the 4th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo held in Bangalore, India,
recently.

He was leading a nine-member team from his society to the four-day Ayurveda
congress, which ended on Monday.

The event is believed to be the world's largest fair for complementary and
alternative healthcare, and attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and
delegates.

Dr Lee said that India had about 9,000 natural herbs, out of which only 300 were
exported to Malaysia.

He said that there was now a strong demand for instant traditional medicine in
Malaysia as about 70 per cent of Malaysians used traditional and complementary
medicine based on a survey by the Health Ministry in 2004.

Dr Lee, who is chairman of International, Scientific and Research Council for
Complementary Medicine, said that he is working very hard to set up a head
office of the council in Malaysia soon.
-- BERNAMA