THE penalties for drug traffickers, users and mules must be differentiated so that punishment is proportionate to the severity of the crime, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said today.

He said police often arrested the mules and brought charges brought against those found with small amounts of drugs in their possession, but the bigger players behind the large drug seizures went unpunished.

“It is more common to see the arrest of individuals who traffic 16 or 50g who are charged in court and sentenced to death,” he said.

“But at the same time, (for) seizures of drugs worth RM3 billion or more, no one gets punished for it. 

“What is happening here? We need to differentiate the offence of trafficking, addiction and mules,” Liew told reporters after attending a Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) forum held in conjunction with Human Rights Day.

Putrajaya is studying decriminalising of drug addiction, as announced by the Health Ministry earlier this year.

A special committee comprising several ministries is looking into into developing a drug policy that prioritises science and public health before punishment and incarceration.

The government is also reviewing the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 to abolish with the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking and give the judge discretionary powers on sentencing. – December 10, 2019.