Malaysia is known for having some of the world's toughest drug laws, with a mandatory death penalty for trafficking, and jail or other forms of detention for simply possessing small quantities. However, the government is now looking at liberalizing these laws, conceding that its heavy-handed approach is at times counterproductive. Mr. Abdul Rashid Ismail, who is a lawyer and former president of the National Human Rights Society of Malaysia, says drug trafficking will remain a serious crime.