Malaysia To Have Student Drug Tests

All Malaysian schools will be given urine-testing equipment and permission to conduct random drug testing on students, the Education Ministry said Sunday.

The equipment will be used in a campaign to stop a rise in drug abuse among young people, the government news agency Bernama reported.

Students who test positive will be turned over to the national anti-drug council for a confirmation test before being transferred from school to a rehabilitation center.

“We are working to turn Malaysia into a center of educational excellence,” said Education Minister Najib Tun Razak. “We need genuine students and not those involved in immoral activities.”

Headmasters and teachers will have the authority to conduct the tests on students suspected of abusing drugs, Najib said.

Police said that 1,753 people were arrested last year for drug trafficking, which carries a mandatory death sentence. The figure is up 37 percent from the previous year.