It was the first time in four years this happened, capping a trend in their absolute number, which has been largely on the rise over this time.
The drug of choice among Malays: Buprenorphine or Subutex.
The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said the August 2006 classification of Subutex as a controlled drug was a reason for the jump in numbers. Half the offenders caught last year were Subutex abusers.
In all, 1,040 Malay drug abusers were caught.
The Chinese were next, with 787 caught, making up 36 per cent of total abusers nabbed. Most abused heroin.
Fourteen per cent, or 294, arrested abusers were Indian.
Figures show that since 2005, Malays have been forming a larger share of all abusers caught. That year, they made up 16.7 per cent of those caught. The following year, their proportion almost doubled to 30.7 per cent.
Another noteworthy trend that surfaced in the figures released by the CNB yesterday in its annual report on the drug scene: Those caught are mostly older repeat offenders.
Among the Malays, over 80 per cent of those arrested were repeat offenders, and 83 per cent of these Malay repeat offenders were 30 or older. In contrast, Malay drug abusers aged below 20 stood at 24 or about two per cent last year - lower than the 5 per cent for Chinese abusers and 3 per cent for Indian abusers in that age group.
The CNB said that the Malay community had worked hard to fight the drug problem and 'achieved good results' in educating its younger members on the dangers of drugs.
Among new abusers, the Chinese were the majority, making up 49 per cent against the Malays' 38 per cent.
The co-chairman of the Malay community's Youth Development Network, Mr Zaqy Mohamad, said the community's efforts now needed to be focused on repeat offenders. The causes of abusers going back to their habit must be addressed, said the Hong Kah GRC MP.
He said it was disappointing that an old problem among the Malays had resurfaced, even as the rest of the community was making progress on the education and employment fronts.
Of the majority of repeat offenders being older, he said that comfort could be drawn from the likelihood that efforts to reach the young with the anti-drug message were working.
CAROLYN QUEK