Episode: KPN 18-09-2026

Malaysia PM plans to invite Min Aung Hlaing for talks on Rohingya Refugee return

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he plans to invite Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing for an official visit as Kuala Lumpur seeks an agreement for the phased return of Rohingya and other Myanmar refugees, arguing that direct engagement is necessary despite Malaysia’s continued reservations about recognizing Myanmar’s military-backed government.

Anwar made the remarks during the SembangOhhYeahh podcast aired on Wednesday, saying he had informed Malaysia’s Home Ministry and Cabinet about the proposed invitation about two weeks earlier.

The Malaysian leader said engagement with Myanmar’s authorities was necessary because the refugee issue could not be resolved if Myanmar refused to receive people returning from Malaysia.

Anwar links official visit to refugee negotiations

Anwar said Malaysia was prepared to engage with Myanmar, including through trade and diplomatic contacts, if Myanmar agreed to take back refugees currently in Malaysia.

He suggested returns could take place gradually rather than all at once and said Malaysia would assist with the process.

Reuters reported that Anwar framed the proposed official visit as part of an effort to secure the return of thousands of Rohingya refugees. He said Myanmar had agreed to accept 5,000 refugees initially, with Malaysia bearing the repatriation costs and further returns expected in stages.

Anwar acknowledged the suffering experienced by Rohingya but said Malaysia could not accommodate the refugee population permanently.

He also noted a fundamental challenge facing Rohingya refugees: many do not have Myanmar citizenship.

Malaysia says engagement does not mean automatic recognition

Anwar said Malaysia’s approach should not be interpreted as unconditional recognition of Myanmar’s military-backed government.

Malaysia, he said, follows ASEAN’s position toward Myanmar but needs an authority with which it can negotiate practical issues such as refugee returns.

Min Aung Hlaing led Myanmar’s February 2021 military coup and subsequently became president in April 2026 following an election held under military rule. Reuters reported that the poll was dominated by an army-backed party in the absence of a viable opposition.

ASEAN has maintained restrictions on Myanmar’s political representation at its highest-level meetings following the 2021 coup and subsequent conflict.

If the proposed visit proceeds, Malaysia would join Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam among ASEAN countries Min Aung Hlaing has visited recently.

First group of 1,476 Myanmar nationals scheduled to return

Malaysia’s Home Ministry announced in August that 1,476 eligible Myanmar nationals were scheduled to return on September 29 under the first phase of its Voluntary Repatriation Programme.

The group forms part of 5,000 people Myanmar has agreed to receive in phases, according to the ministry. Myanmar authorities identified the first group through a diplomatic note dated August 13.

The official Malaysian announcement describes the first group as Myanmar nationals and does not establish that all 1,476 are Rohingya.

The return operation is expected to involve two Myanmar Navy warships and a hospital ship. Malaysia says the programme will be conducted voluntarily, safely and according to procedures agreed between the two governments.

UNHCR warns Myanmar remains unsafe for refugee return

The planned returns have raised protection concerns.

UNHCR said on September 1 that it was not involved in Malaysia’s planned repatriation programme and warned that continuing armed conflict and violence meant conditions in Myanmar were not currently conducive to safe and dignified voluntary refugee return.

The UN refugee agency stressed that repatriation must be voluntary and based on informed decisions, while refugees must not be returned to places where their lives, freedom or fundamental rights would be at risk.

That distinction is particularly significant for Rohingya, many of whom remain stateless and have faced longstanding restrictions on citizenship, movement and other basic rights in Myanmar.

More than 126,000 Rohingya registered in Malaysia

Malaysia hosts one of the largest Rohingya refugee populations outside Bangladesh.

Recent reporting citing UNHCR figures puts Malaysia’s registered refugee and asylum-seeker population at more than 215,000, including more than 126,000 Rohingya from Myanmar, making Rohingya the country’s largest registered refugee community.

More than one million Rohingya also remain in Bangladesh, most living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar after successive waves of displacement from Myanmar.

For Malaysia, Anwar presented engagement with Myanmar as a pragmatic diplomatic route toward addressing the prolonged refugee situation. For UNHCR, however, any return must meet international refugee-protection standards, including voluntariness, safety and dignity.

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