BFM 89.9
The Business Station
Malaysia’s Death Formula
43 mins
·
15:00, 16 Jun 2026
·
Recommended
1 hr 21 mins
39 mins
Guest: Tham Jia Vern, Researcher, HAYAT
An extensive new report by the criminal justice system reform NGO Hayat contends that Malaysia’s anti-drug framework has evolved into a system that often punishes low-level couriers who are deceived and manipulated rather than kingpins that run the show. It traces this problem to two key legal mechanisms: statutory presumptions in the Dangerous Drugs Act and the doctrine of wilful blindness. Together, these rules shift the burden onto accused persons to prove they did not know they were carrying drugs, even in cases involving hidden compartments, forged travel arrangements, romance scams, or fraudulent job offers. A major focus is the landmark case of Herlina Purnama Sari, an Indonesian woman sentenced to death after drugs were found in her luggage.
In this episode, we unpack this and more with Tham Jia Vern, who's a researcher at HAYAT and one of the authors of the report.
Image Credit: Hayat
Presenter: Dashran Yohan
Producer: Dashran Yohan
HAYATDangerous Drug Actstatutory presumptionswilful blindnessdrug kingpinsconvictHerlina Purnama SariMalaysia justice systemthe bigger picturebeyond the ballot boxcriminal justice reformdrug policyaccusations of abusedrug traffickingdeath penaltydeath rowcapital punishmentdrug courierdrug muleshuman traffickinghuman rightsexploitationlegal reform
Share:
Recommended
Jun 16
·
1 hr 21 minsHow Often Do You Take Public Transport?
Recent episodes
0
Latest stories
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 10:00AM
How Often Do You Take Public Transport?
1 hr 21 mins
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 1 hr 21 mins
How Often Do You Take Public Transport?
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 9:00AM
Top 5 at 5: Bukit Kiara Families Finally Get Permanent Homes
39 mins
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 39 mins
Top 5 at 5: Bukit Kiara Families Finally Get Permanent Homes
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 8:00AM
Ask An Orthopaedic Surgeon: How We Swing A Racquet (Or Paddle, Golf Club, etc)
41 mins
Podcasts · Jun 16 · 41 mins
Ask An Orthopaedic Surgeon: How We Swing A Racquet (Or Paddle, Golf Club, etc)