KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would do “whatever possible” to work with Myanmar and ensure the war-torn nation can be fully re-integrated into the Southeast Asian ASEAN bloc, following a meeting with Myanmar’s military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday.
The former junta chief is on a two-day visit to Malaysia as he looks for greater international legitimacy after being appointed as president in April following an election that was widely criticised by Western nations and rights groups as a sham.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup against a democratically elected government in 2021, triggering a nationwide civil war.
Min Aung Hlaing and other senior Myanmar officials have been barred since 2021 from attending summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after failing to adhere to an ASEAN-brokered peace plan, but some member countries have sought to re-establish ties.
Since becoming president, Min Aung Hlaing has also visited ASEAN members Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Malaysia’s Anwar acknowledged ongoing concerns about democratic processes in Myanmar but said differences must be respected, adding that Min Aung Hlaing had shown a willingness to be collaborative.
“I would say that we and our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration and ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN,” Anwar told a media briefing following the meeting.
He also expressed appreciation to Min Aung Hlaing for accepting the repatriation of 10,493 Myanmar nationals from Malaysia.
Malaysia has said it can no longer take in refugees from Myanmar, saying they had become a financial burden and a security risk. The country last month sent back around 1,500 people on Myanmar naval ships, defying warnings from the United Nations and rights groups that returnees faced serious danger arising from the ongoing civil war.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by David Stanway)
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