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 counter-productive. CGTN's Rian Maelzer has this report from the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Yatie Jonet has served close to a year in prison in two stints for possession of roughly 100 dollars worth of drugs.

YATIE JONET FORMER PRISONER ON DRUGS CHARGES "Just imagine how a naive youth came into that prison and that environment, it will break your heart like hell."

Now Malaysia's government says it aims to change the country's laws to decriminalize possession of drugs for personal use.

Malaysia's drug policies have long focused on incarceration and punishment, and the health minister says the approach has failed.

DR. DZULKEFLY AHMAD MALAYSIAN HEALTH MINISTER "We truly believe that addiction is a disease and addicts are patients that require our treatment and compassion. This is not at all to mean legalization of drugs."

And trafficking will remain a serious crime.

RIAN MAELZER KUALA LUMPUR "Malaysia's government is moving to end the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, replacing it instead with a minimum 10-year sentence on conviction."

The plans to end criminal penalties for drug possession are a hard sell to law enforcement agencies and many ordinary Malaysians.

AZRUL KHALIB GALEN CENTER FOR HEALTH & SOCIAL POLICY "Society is in a little bit of whiplash on this particular radical 180-degree turn. It will take time in order for Malaysians to get to that point where they are looking at it much more compassionately."

YATIE JONET FORMER PRISONER ON DRUGS CHARGES "Two times in prison, and two times in drug detention centres. The bad experience that we have in prison, it can make more harm actually."

Yatie Jonet, for one, is in no doubt decriminalizing personal drug possession is the far better approach that the iron-fisted policies of the past. Rian Maelzer, CGTN, Kuala Lumpur.