Malaysia wants to introduce a law to decriminalise the possession and use of small quantities of illicit drugs, its home affairs minister said on Monday, citing a need to reduce prison overcrowding.
The move is the latest in a series of criminal justice reforms pursued by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, which this year abolished the mandatory death penalty and natural-life prison terms, and said it would seek to decriminalise suicide attempts.
Malaysia, like many of its Southeast Asian neighbours, has harsh penalties for drug crimes. Under reforms passed last month, it retained the death penalty for drug trafficking but said it will no longer be mandatory, with judges allowed to decide whether or not to impose the sentence on convicted offenders.
