Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim plans to invite Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing for an official visit as part of efforts to negotiate the return of thousands of Myanmar refugees, including Rohingya, currently in Malaysia.
Anwar said the invitation was intended to open direct negotiations with Myanmar over a phased repatriation arrangement. He said Malaysia could strengthen ties and expand trade with Myanmar, but expected Myanmar to accept the return of its citizens.
The prime minister said the proposal had been discussed with Malaysia’s Home Ministry and Cabinet about two weeks earlier. He said the repatriation could take place gradually if Myanmar was unable to accept a large number of people at once.
Malaysia has previously announced that Myanmar had agreed to receive 5,000 refugees. The first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme is scheduled to involve about 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Sept 29.
Malaysia hosts one of Southeast Asia’s largest refugee populations. More than 126,000 Rohingya registered with the UN refugee agency are in the country, according to recent figures.
The Rohingya have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, with more than 700,000 fleeing to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in 2017. Many remain unable or unwilling to return because of concerns about safety, citizenship and living conditions.
Anwar said Malaysia could not permanently accommodate such a large refugee population and argued that negotiations with Myanmar were necessary to find a longer-term solution.
Malaysia has traditionally been critical of Myanmar’s military leadership, particularly over the treatment of the Rohingya and the continuing conflict following the 2021 military takeover.
At the same time, Myanmar’s current government has sought greater engagement with neighbouring countries since Min Aung Hlaing became president. ASEAN has not recognised Myanmar’s election and has continued to exclude its leaders from high-level regional summits.
If the invitation is accepted, Malaysia would become the fifth ASEAN member state to host Min Aung Hlaing since his recent visits to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The proposed visit comes as Malaysia prepares for the first phase of its repatriation programme and seeks to negotiate further returns with Myanmar. The safety and conditions under which refugees would return are expected to remain important issues in the discussions.
Leave a Reply