Home Ministry: Synthetic drugs now a major threat; East Coast most affected

SYNTHETIC drugs are now a major threat in this country, accounting for about 70 per cent of all addictions, with East Coast states identified as the most seriously affected.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said 145,526 cases involving Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) were recorded in 2023, increasing to 192,857 cases in 2024 before recording 141,817 cases in 2025.

“The most widely abused synthetic drug in our country, accounting for about 70 per cent of all drug abuse cases, is ATS.

“When we collected data and did mapping, it was found that the most serious situation was in the East Coast states.

“This means that in the East Coast strip, the use of marijuana, heroin, ketum and morphine is no longer the main choice. Instead, they are looking for ATS, syabu and methamphetamine,” he said during an oral question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said this in response to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), who asked the ministry to state the number of synthetic drug addiction cases recorded since 2023 until now, as well as the government's strategy to address the increase in synthetic drug use.

At the same time, Saifuddin also revealed that the authorities detected the existence of fentanyl during operations against vape liquids, but stressed that the abuse of the substance in this country was still not at an alarming level.

“When police conducted an operation against vape liquids, they found another substance known as fentanyl. This is worse. Its effects are tens of times worse than morphine and can cause death.

“It's good because in 2025, when we amended the Drug Addicts Act, fentanyl as a new substance was included in the Schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act,” he said.

According to him, although fentanyl has been detected in Malaysia, its abuse has not reached a serious level like in several other countries, but the government has taken steps by strengthening legal aspects to enable enforcement to be taken.

He added that the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) will continue to intensify prevention, enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation efforts through various programs involving communities, educational institutions and workplaces to curb the increase in synthetic drug abuse in the country. – June 23, 2026