Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat confirmed a controversial new strategy requiring every Officer-in-Charge of a Police Station (OCS) to make at least one drug-related arrest daily, effective July 15. The directive aims to counter a 13% decline in drug arrests, which fell to 13,957 cases in the first six months of 2026 compared to 15,051 in the same period the previous year. Drug-related arrests also dropped by 10% to 14,640 individuals, compared with 16,182 previously.
The Quota Directive: A New Approach to Drug Enforcement
Legal Experts Warn of Systemic Risks
M Visvanathan, chair of the rights group Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (Edict), argued the quota risks superficial investigations and wrongful arrests. He warned that police might prioritize meeting targets over thorough evidence-gathering, damaging the force’s credibility. The police will be accused of conducting investigations superficially, thereby acting unprofessionally. This calls into question the integrity of the force, and that will tarnish their image,
he told Freemalaysiatoday. Visvanathan described the policy as the wrong way to tackle drug abuse in the country and expressed fears that it could result in innocent people being arrested.
Criminal lawyer S Vinesh echoed these fears, noting that a KPI-driven approach could weaken prosecutions and erode individual liberties. So what happens if the quality of investigations declines? It weakens prosecutions and, ultimately, affects people’s liberty,
he said. Vinesh also highlighted the risk of overwhelming courts with a surge of drug cases, complicating judges’ ability to meet their own KPIs for case resolution. And judges won’t be able to achieve their own KPIs (for disposing of court cases),
he added, citing Freemalaysiatoday. Both lawyers emphasized that the policy fails to address root causes of drug use, such as addiction and rehabilitation, and could exacerbate existing systemic issues.
Scam Surge Complicates Police Priorities
Yusoff reported a 100% increase in scam cases in Kelantan, with total losses reaching RM23.6 million. A total of 1,480 scam cases were recorded during the period, compared with 732 cases in the corresponding period last year. Financial losses also rose significantly from RM17 million to RM23.6 million. Despite the various public awareness campaigns that have been carried out, online scam cases continue to increase,
Yusoff said, citing The Sun Malaysia. The most common cases involve investment scams, love scams, phone scams, fake job offers, non-existent loan schemes, and online shopping fraud.
Yusoff announced plans to intensify social media campaigns to educate the public, urging media outlets to collaborate in preventing further victimization. Yusoff noted that the most common frauds include investment scams, love scams, phone scams, fake job offers, non-existent loan schemes, and online shopping fraud. Despite public awareness campaigns, the number of scam cases has continued to rise, prompting Yusoff to call for increased social media outreach. He also emphasized the need for collaboration with media organizations to educate the public and reduce vulnerabilities to fraud.
Balancing Accountability and Ethical Policing
The effectiveness of the daily arrest quota will be reviewed after three months through operational assessments and post-mortem evaluations. Yusoff warned that officers failing to meet targets could face disciplinary action. Meanwhile, the legal community remains skeptical, with Visvanathan calling the policy the wrong way to tackle drug abuse.
Yusoff emphasized that the new strategy was introduced after drug-related arrests declined despite intensified enforcement efforts. He stated, “We are changing our approach. Every Officer-in-Charge of a Police Station must play a more proactive role in their respective areas because they should know where drug addicts and drug-related activities are located within their jurisdictions.” The police chief also reiterated that district Narcotics CI Division chiefs would focus on drug suppliers and distributors, while the Contingent Police Headquarters’ Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department would concentrate on dismantling larger syndicates. Disciplinary action could be taken against officers who fail to achieve the prescribed targets, according to Yusoff.
Legal experts have stressed that the policy’s focus on numbers could compromise the quality of investigations. Visvanathan warned that the KPI-driven approach might encourage corruption, as officers could be incentivized to make arrests without credible evidence. Vinesh added that such a strategy fails to address the root causes of drug abuse, making it harder for individuals with addiction to access rehabilitation. This approach does not tackle the underlying issues, he said. Both lawyers urged the police to prioritize thorough investigations over meeting arbitrary targets to ensure justice and prevent wrongful arrests.
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