Malaysia: Bill to decriminalise small-time drug use and possession in the works, says home minister

SERDANG, May 15 — A new Bill to decriminalise the possession and self-administration of small quantities of drugs is in the works, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today.

He said the new Bill will be called the Drugs and Substance Abuse Act (Akta Penyalahgunaan Dadah dan Bahan).

He also said that he hopes to present the Bill to the Cabinet by this July, and then table it for the first reading in Parliament within 2023.

“With this law, for the type of offences where drugs are found on the body, whether in terms of possession or use in a smaller quantity, the original idea was to not consider this as a common drug crime,” he told reporters during his ministry’s Aidilfitri celebration at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here today.

He said the proposed law would focus on diverting offenders towards rehabilitation in order to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

“They will be referred directly to rehabilitation centres, either institutional or community-based treatment and rehabilitation that are under the jurisdiction of the AADK and not straight to jail,” he added, referring to the National Anti-Drugs Agency.

The minister added that the drafting of the Bill was on schedule.