Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail warned that urine testing can not only detect drugs taken through traditional methods but also those inhaled through vapes, according to Malaymail's report on November 17.
He said that officers from the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) are now able to detect prohibited substances in the early stages, especially after the enforcement of the Drug Dependents (Treatment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Act 2024, passed by the Dewan Rakyat in August.
He highlighted that the main threat faced by students in schools has shifted from traditional drugs to a variety of synthetic drugs with different names and forms.
"We have the ability, and rehabilitation officers have the expertise (detecting substances). If before, the testing and verification process (for forbidden substances) was all done by doctors, no one else could, the Minister said."
"But in the drug dependents act that we amended, that task can be conducted by AADK rehabilitation officers, but we do not exclude medical officers. In the Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen) there is still an element of the role of medical officers, but the initial test can be conducted by rehabilitation officers."
The minister stated that the Ministry of the Interior plans to establish a specialized laboratory to test for prohibited substances.
"Through the laboratory, we can detect all prohibited substances without any doubt, the competence is high," he said.
KDN and the Education Ministry have launched the Junior Squad, a volunteer student team aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drugs and substance abuse among school communities, particularly students.
The program will launch as a pilot in 26 primary and secondary schools across the country during the 2025 academic year.
