French national Tom Felix has been released from a Malaysian jail after being acquitted by the High Court following more than two years in detention over drug charges.
Felix was arrested in 2023 after police raided a shared apartment he lived in on Langkawi Island and found a large quantity of cannabis constituting trafficking under national law. Authorities discovered approximately 1.85 kilograms of marijuana in the common area of the residence.
The 34-year-old former Veolia Environnement SA (OTCMKTS: VEOEY) (FRA: VVD) executive shared the apartment with his business partner, who was also detained during the raid.
Prosecutors charged Felix with eight drug-related offences carrying severe penalties under Malaysian law. If convicted on all counts, he could have faced capital punishment or, alternatively, decades in prison, multiple strokes of the cane and a substantial financial penalty.
Felix, his family and friends have adamantly advocated for his innocence since the ordeal began.
The decision to acquit Felix was made by Judge Evawani Farisyta Mohammad at the High Court in Alor Setar on Feb. 3 after prosecutors failed to prove his control, custody or possession of the drugs. The Frenchman emerged from the courtroom with a relieved look on his face.
Felix’s ruling attracted the attention of French President Emmanuel Macron, who took to X to voice his enthusiasm about the court’s decision.
“Immense relief,” Macron stated. “Tom Felix has been acquitted by the Malaysian justice system. Special thoughts for his parents, whom I had met, who never stopped believing in it and who will now be reunited with their son.”
Hundreds of comments rolled in on the long-standing Free Tom Felix Facebook page when the news broke as over 1,300 people reacted positively to a posting on the matter.
His mother Sylvie expressed profound relief, saying the nightmare had finally come to an end. Tom will be heading back to France in the immediate future following his discharge.
Tom Félix, un Français de 34 ans qui risquait la peine de mort en Malaisie pour détention et trafic de stupéfiants, a été acquitté.→https://t.co/xOXjQYTJ7H pic.twitter.com/dk5kLcRWx0
— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) February 3, 2026
Read more: Frenchman faces possible death sentence in Malaysia over cannabis charges
Release occurs amid push for domestic drug policy reform
The news comes as Malaysia slowly moves forward with plans to decriminalize cannabis usage and small possession, though no plans to lessen punishments for trafficking are in discussion.
In November of 2025, a Drug Policy Summit was held in Kuala Lumpur where Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sani and other officials announced a technical working committee that is now examining decriminalization measures. They are reviewing Section 15(1)(a) of Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act as it pertains.
“We are engaging all the stakeholders and taking in views from all sides before making any decisions,” Lukanisman said. He described current laws as “archaic” and stuck in the colonial era. The intent is to begin recognizing addiction as a health issue rather than a crime while addressing prison overcrowding caused by arrests linked to drug offences.
The meeting builds on Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution announcing plans to decriminalize small-scale possession and use in 2023. The process is ongoing in a nation that currently has among the world’s strictest drug laws.
Malaysia’s national news agency recently published a feature story on how these regulations could be harmful to youth and those with limited financial options.
Read more: Malaysian health ministry uses AI to detect 22 lung cancer cases in 2 months
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