Malaysia Says It Will Work Toward Myanmar’s Full Reintegration Into ASEAN

Post by : Saif

Malaysia will work toward helping Myanmar regain full participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday after meeting Myanmar’s military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Anwar said Malaysia would do whatever possible to strengthen cooperation with Myanmar and support its return to the regional bloc’s community of nations.

Min Aung Hlaing is visiting Malaysia for two days as Myanmar seeks stronger regional engagement following years of conflict and diplomatic isolation.

Anwar Calls for Greater Cooperation

Speaking after the meeting, Anwar acknowledged continuing concerns over democratic processes in Myanmar but said differences between countries should be respected.

He said Min Aung Hlaing had shown a willingness to cooperate and that Malaysia would continue working with Myanmar.

Myanmar has faced restrictions within ASEAN since the military coup in 2021. Senior military officials have been excluded from major ASEAN summits after the authorities failed to implement a five-point peace plan agreed with the regional bloc.

Myanmar Seeks Stronger Regional Engagement

Min Aung Hlaing has visited several ASEAN member states since becoming president, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

His visit to Malaysia is part of efforts to strengthen Myanmar’s regional relations and gain wider international recognition.

Myanmar has remained involved in a civil war since the military takeover in 2021, which removed the democratically elected government and triggered armed resistance across the country.

Malaysia Continues Myanmar Repatriation Programme

Anwar also thanked Min Aung Hlaing for accepting the return of more than 10,000 Myanmar nationals from Malaysia.

Malaysia has so far repatriated 10,493 Myanmar nationals, according to Anwar. The programme has faced criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups because of concerns about the safety of people being returned while conflict continues in Myanmar.

Malaysia has said it cannot continue hosting large numbers of refugees and has described some of the migration situation as a financial and security challenge.

Myanmar Plans Navy Ships to Bring Citizens Home

Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar would send navy ships to Malaysia to collect citizens currently held in Malaysian immigration detention centres.

He said weather conditions were currently suitable for the ships to travel and that Myanmar would formally request Malaysia's approval for the repatriation.

The two sides did not publicly say whether their discussions included plans involving Rohingya refugees.

Read more: Philippines Raises Concern Over Myanmar Airstrike Deaths and Injuries

Rohingya Issue Remains Sensitive

Malaysia hosts more than 193,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar, with Rohingya making up about 65% of the total, according to UN figures.

Many Rohingya fled Myanmar following the 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine state. The situation remains a sensitive issue between Myanmar and Malaysia, while an ongoing genocide case involving Myanmar is before the International Court of Justice.

Anwar has previously called for Myanmar to accept Rohingya refugees, while tensions surrounding the Rohingya community in Malaysia have increased amid growing online hate speech and public scrutiny.

Malaysia’s latest engagement with Myanmar signals a push for greater regional cooperation while ASEAN continues to face challenges over how to deal with the country’s political crisis and ongoing conflict.

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