Most Malaysians held for drug crimes abroad detained in Indonesia, China

The number of Malaysians detained overseas for drug-related offences increased to 1,588 as of September this year, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni.

Lukanisman said the five countries with the highest numbers of Malaysians detained were Indonesia (381), China (380), Singapore (310), Thailand (102) and Japan (72).

He said increasingly sophisticated drug-smuggling methods had contributed to the frequent arrests of Malaysians overseas.

“A total of 1,181 Malaysians were detained for drug-related offences in 2024, followed by 1,303 in 2025. There has been an increase of 285 this year, bringing the total number of detainees to 1,588,” he said during the question and answer session in parliament on Thursday.

He was responding to a question from lawmaker Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman) on the number of Malaysians detained or charged with drug-related offences overseas over the past five years.

Lukanisman said 40 of the 50 countries where Malaysians were present had detained them for drug-related offences.

“At the same time, several neighbouring and other countries with high numbers of Malaysians detained in drug-related cases have also tightened their enforcement.

“In this regard, Malaysia is working to clarify the situation and ensure that the country’s enforcement efforts to tackle drug-related problems continue to be strengthened, while acknowledging that there is still room for improvement,” he said.

He said Malaysia would leverage the Asean platforms to strengthen discussions and submit relevant notes at future multilateral conferences as part of its multilateral approach.

On the effectiveness of current security measures at the country’s entry and exit points, Lukanisman said the home ministry had taken appropriate steps through the relevant enforcement agencies.