Pangolins should not be used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as there are cheaper and more sustainable alternatives, said Malaysian Chinese Medical Association general secretary Dr Kong Why Hong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPangolin flesh and boiled pangolin scale soup are consumed to treat abscesses, improve blood circulation, increase lactation, reduce menstrual pain and treat skin rashes, \u201d said Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut we have many herbal alternatives to treat these conditions, such as coptis (goldthread root) for detoxing, dong quai (female ginseng) for improving blood circulation and lu lu tong (sweetgum fruit) to increase lactation, \u201d said Kong, who has been a TCM practitioner for over 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are so many other choices which are cheaper and easy to find. Since pangolins are now classified as an endangered species, it is not a must to consume pangolins and their parts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pangolins, he added, were lauded as having medicinal properties in Chinese medicine but consumers should take into consideration ethics and existing laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know that animal extinction will trigger ecological problems and there are so many other choices, \u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, it isn\u2019t necessary to consume or promote the consumption of pangolins \u2013 not just as TCM practitioners but as human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
High demand for pangolins for consumption and TCM purposes has led to a drastic reduction in its population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RELATED: <\/strong>Trafficked to Extinction \u2013 GERC\u2019s global investigative report on pangolin smuggling<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that over a million pangolins have been hunted from 2004 to 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another TCM practitioner in Petaling Jaya said the lack of knowledge about TCM alternatives contributed to the demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPangolins aren\u2019t a popular option any more due to its status as a protected animal. That has made it rare and costly, \u201d said the TCM practitioner, who requested anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut some people are still willing to pay for it as pangolins and its parts have been marketed as being very effective in treating certain ailments, \u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TCM practitioners and sellers, he added, could play a role in helping to protect the endangered animal by advising their customers against using pangolin scales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe tell them that it is illegal to consume pangolin parts and that we don\u2019t sell them. Then, we prescribe alternatives that work the same, \u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pangolins are frequently poached in Malaysian forests or smuggled in from Indonesia, then transported to China through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Sept 25, R.AGE released an exclusive report<\/a> on how police officials in Malaysia were involved in the pangolin smuggling trade. Following the report, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador<\/a> and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission<\/a> both announced separate investigations into the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was <\/strong>first published in The Star<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n