Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said he will invite Myanmar’s junta chief‑turned‑President Min Aung Hlaing for an official visit, in exchange for his government agreeing to take back thousands of Rohingya refugees.

Speaking on Wednesday, Anwar acknowledged that Malaysia, like the wider ASEAN bloc, does not recognise Myanmar’s new administration following the 2021 coup. But he argued that Kuala Lumpur needs an authority to negotiate with on the issue of refugee repatriation. “We can be friends, we can trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them back,” he said.

Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power five years ago and became president in April after an army‑backed election, has been seeking international legitimacy through a series of visits abroad. He has already travelled to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as China, India and Russia. Malaysia would be the fifth ASEAN member to host him.

ASEAN has barred Myanmar’s leaders from its summits since the coup, amid a civil war that has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. The military has been accused of widespread atrocities against civilians, allegations it denies.

Malaysia has long been one of the bloc’s most vocal critics of Myanmar’s junta, repeatedly urging it to end hostilities. Yet Anwar said diplomacy was more effective than condemnation.

“That’s better diplomacy than just shouting angrily at Myanmar. Who’s going to take them? Where do we send them? They don’t even have Myanmar citizenship,” he told listeners in a podcast.

Malaysia hosts nearly 194,000 refugees from Myanmar, according to UNHCR figures from February, including tens of thousands of Rohingya. The government last month finalised the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme, with 1,500 refugees scheduled to return in September. Anwar said Myanmar had now agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya, with more to follow in stages, and that Kuala Lumpur would bear the cost of repatriation.

The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority, have fled Myanmar in huge numbers over the past decade, many risking their lives on unsafe boats to reach Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia. More than a million remain in crowded camps in Bangladesh.

Anwar stressed that Malaysia could not accommodate them permanently. “They need to be sent home,” he said, while acknowledging their suffering.

The move highlights a delicate balance: Malaysia insists it is not recognising Myanmar’s government, yet is engaging with it to resolve a humanitarian crisis. Whether this approach will ease tensions within ASEAN or further complicate the bloc’s stance on Myanmar remains to be seen.

-2026-09-18