Commissioner Adeeba Kamarulzaman participated in ‘Tried & Prejudice’, a public event organized by the Monash University Malaysia School of Arts and Social Sciences on 11 October in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The event combined documentary film screenings and panel discussions exploring the social and human impacts of punitive drug laws and policies.

Commissioner Kamarulzaman joined a panel with experts and advocates from Malaysia and beyond, including Palani Narayanan (Drug Policy Program Malaysia), Vicknasingam Kasinather (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and Sangeet Kaur Deo (Karpa Singh & Co). The session moderated by Meera Sivasothy (Monash University Malaysia).

In her intervention, Commissioner Kamarulzaman emphasized the harms caused by criminalization and the need for drug policy grounded in scientific evidence, public health, and human rights. She also underlined the importance of raising public awareness of the historical and structural factors underpinning current drug measures, as well as the social and economic contexts contributing to drug use and dependence.

The Tried & Prejudice event forms part of ongoing national discussions on drug policy reform in Malaysia, including efforts to review the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and promote proportionate, health-centered responses to drug use and related offenses.