KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The government has formed a technical working committee to study the decriminalising of drug use and small possession, and could possibly look into removing provisions in existing drug laws that make consumption and small possession a crime.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sani told reporters after opening the Drug Policy Summit here that Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act is one of the provisions under review, although he said the committee has not decided on anything concrete yet.
“Yes, we did discuss a few articles in existing drug laws that are relevant, although we have not yet reached that stage to decide on any amendments,” Lukanisman said.
“Right now, we are still pretty much at the stage where we are engaging all the stakeholders and taking in views from all sides before making any decisions, and many have expressed views with regards to the said provision,” the deputy minister added.
Earlier in his speech, Lukanisman suggested that the government was supportive of the push to decriminalise drug use and small possession.
The current administration has avoided removing laws that make drug use a criminal offence. Instead, it has amended parts of the Drug Dependents (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act to divert offenders into state-operated rehabilitation centres.
“Many of those turning to drugs are young. They are the productive generation, the generation that is crucial to economic growth,” he said.
"If we block them, many of whom are typically educated or may be bright enough to further their education, and we end up punishing them with an Act that is archaic and still stuck in the colonial era, we need to rethink our actions.
“Yes, there was an amendment to the AADK law last year, but we need to do more than this,” the deputy minister added.
Decriminalisation of drug use refers to the process of removing or reducing criminal penalties for possessing or using certain narcotic drugs. Instead of treating drug use as a crime punishable by law, decriminalisation’s broader aim is to recognise it as a public health issue.
Although decriminalised drug laws vary between countries, decriminalisation typically involves eliminating criminal charges for small-scale possession and instead focusing on treatment, harm reduction and education.
Today’s drug policy summit, the first in Malaysia, gathered public health experts, policymakers, law enforcement and civil society groups to discuss what is often viewed as a highly sensitive topic, especially in a predominantly conservative continent like Asia.
The summit’s organisers, the Drug Policy Programme, a wing under the Malaysian AIDS Council, said they expect the resolutions and findings from the summit to be considered by the decriminalisation committee.
