Drug laws carry mandatory death penalty. Insulting Islam or the Royals is a criminal offense. Dress codes in certain states are enforced.
Mandatory death penalty for: 15g+ heroin, 1kg+ cannabis, 200g+ methamphetamine. Possession of smaller amounts: up to 10 years + whipping. Malaysia actively applies this to foreigners.
Sedition Act and Syariah laws criminalize insults to Islam. Social media posts have led to arrests of foreigners. During Ramadan: eating/drinking in public during fasting hours in Muslim-majority areas can lead to fines.
Illegal under both civil law (up to 20 years) and Syariah law (for Muslims). Enforced against foreigners. Public displays of same-sex affection have led to arrests.
| Drug trafficking | Mandatory death penalty |
| Public intoxication | Up to MYR 1,000 (~$215) or imprisonment |
| Overstaying visa | RM 10,000 (~$2,150) + deportation + ban |
Malaysia is a dual-legal system country -- civil law and Islamic Syariah law operate in parallel. Syariah law applies to Muslims and in some states to non-Muslims for certain offenses. Understand which applies where you are traveling.
This is general travel information, not legal advice. Laws change -- verify with your government's official travel advisory and local legal counsel before travel. US: travel.state.gov · UK: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
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