By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 25: Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has renewed his call for vape products to be made illegal, arguing that tougher enforcement is needed as e-cigarettes become a key channel for the spread of synthetic drugs.
His call comes after Sarawak police seized 5,672.5ml of vape liquid worth an estimated RM1.02 million between Jan 1 and June 21 this year, with laboratory analyses finding substances listed under the Poisons Act 1952 and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
“Sometimes you have to be tough when it comes to this. You have to make it illegal. Go all out. Penalise them,” he told reporters today when asked whether banning vape products would simply drive the trade underground.
Abdul Karim dismissed claims that prohibiting vape products would make them harder to regulate, saying such arguments are often used by those seeking to keep them legal.
“They will find all kinds of excuses to legalise vape and make sure that vape is still around. They will come up with arguments that if it goes underground, it will be difficult to control.
“Are you telling me that when it is not underground it is easy to control? No,” he pointed out.
He also suggested that some parties may have vested interests in preventing stricter action against vape products.
“We know vape is one of the channels through which drugs are being spread at the moment. But there are people up there who do not want vape to be banned. Maybe they have interests in it too. This is the problem that we are facing—the root of the problem,” he said.
Abdul Karim further said the drug landscape has changed significantly over the years, with synthetic drugs increasingly replacing traditional narcotics such as heroin, morphine and opium.
According to him, synthetic drugs can now be distributed through various means, including vape liquids and beverages disguised as ordinary drinks.
“That is why enforcement against these dangerous drugs must be continuous, and policymakers and enforcement agencies must always be one step ahead of those involved in distributing them,” he said.
Citing figures from the Sarawak police contingent, Karim said analyses by the Chemistry Department Malaysia found that a large portion of the seized vape liquids contained etomidate, a substance listed under the First Schedule of the Poisons Act 1952, and MDMB-PINACA, which is listed under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
“That means vape has already been used by those involved in distributing drugs as one of their channels. The substances found are classified under the Poisons Act and the Dangerous Drugs Act,” he said.
He further revealed that Sarawak police recorded 7,561 narcotics-related arrests during the same period, involving 362 drug traffickers, 1,420 drug possessors, and 5,779 drug users and addicts.
While expressing concern over emerging drug trends, Abdul Karim said authorities have yet to detect fentanyl in vape liquids seized in Sarawak.
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid linked to a major drug crisis in the United States, can cause severe addiction and has been associated with overdose deaths.
“So far, we are grateful there have been no results showing the presence of fentanyl. But it will not be long because those involved in drug distribution are always looking for new ways,” he said.
Abdul Karim urged stronger monitoring at airports, ports, postal services and courier facilities, which he identified as among the routes used to smuggle drugs into Sarawak.
Despite the challenges, he maintained that the State’s drug situation remains relatively under control.
“To say we have won the war against drugs, I would not dare. But to say we are losing the battle, I would not say that either.
“When we look at the drug crime index, Sarawak is consistently among the three states with the lowest drug crime rates. That means we are still managing the situation well,” he said.
Abdul Karim added that youth organisations, community leaders, government agencies and anti-drug groups such as Malaysia Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) and Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (Saberkas) must continue working together to raise awareness and prevent young people from falling into drug abuse.
“We do not want our children and youths to become trapped by drugs. They are the ones who will inherit our State, our country and our society in the future,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
