KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 4 -- The Malaysian government allocated RM1.15 billion in 2024 alone to cover prison costs stemming from drug offences, public health expert Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman revealed at the first-ever Drug Policy Summit held here.

Delivering a critical speech on Malaysia's drug laws, Dr Adeeba said the total annual expenditure for maintaining drug-related arrests and incarceration reached an estimated RM2 billion - enough to hire some 5,000 specialists.

Despite the staggering costs, authorities continue to see rising drug-related arrests. Since 2019, police have reported some 600,000 arrests, with 174,000 in 2024 alone - 85 per cent of which were for drug use and small-scale possession, and only 15 per cent for selling or...