Are khat legal in Malaysia?

Khat may not be brought into Malaysia. Khat import prohibited This page covers what Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) allows across the border; whether you may then possess or carry it in public is a separate matter of Malaysia's domestic law, which can differ by state, province, or city. Check both before travelling.

ITEM RULE · TRAVELING

PROHIBITED

Khat 🇲🇾 Malaysia

PROHIBITEDVERIFIED · 2026-07-25LOW CONFIDENCE

Report a correction

Khat import prohibited

ANSWER

Can I bring Khat into Malaysia?

PROHIBITEDVERIFIED · 2026-07-25LOW CONFIDENCE

Khat import prohibited

DECLARATION

Required at the destination customs authority

SOURCE

customs.gov.my

Verify against the official customs authority before acting on this answer.Report a correction

Full details

Khat import prohibited. In the reverse direction (taking khat out of Malaysia): prohibited — Khat is a controlled substance in Malaysia — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

PENALTIES

Criminal penalty

The Act lists cathinone, the stimulant found in khat, among the dangerous drugs that may not be imported without the Minister's authorisation. It does not name the khat plant itself, and neither does the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023, so we give no penalty figure for the plant.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234, as at 4 July 2023), s.12(1)(a) — import of First Schedule drugs (cathinone is listed in Part III)

“import into Malaysia any dangerous drug specified in Parts III, IV and V of the First Schedule; or”

lom.agc.gov.my

Penalty sources checked 2026-09-19.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving Malaysia with khat

PROHIBITEDKhat is a controlled substance in Malaysia — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in Malaysia under Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 — fresh khat is treated as a controlled drug, so possession and export are offences. Khat found at departure screening is seized and the carrier prosecuted under the same framework as at arrival. The plant is a licit commodity only in a small number of producing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen); everywhere in this site's coverage of this route, carrying it across the border is unlawful.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Do not carry khat (Catha edulis), fresh or dried, into Malaysia. Royal Malaysian Customs treats it as a controlled drug; carriage triggers seizure plus possible criminal charge under the local misuse-of-drugs statute. There is no permit pathway for personal use.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-07-25

customs.gov.my

RULE DETAILS

CUSTOMS AUTHORITY

Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD)

SHOW AT CUSTOMS

Printable customs card →

AIR TRAVEL IS SEPARATE

This page covers destination customs rules in Malaysia. Whether you can carry khat through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.

Related rules

Cannabis Seeds

🇲🇾 Malaysia

PROHIBITED

Cannabis Seeds import prohibited

traveling