MYANMAR has agreed to take back 5,000 of its nationals currently in Malaysia by sea, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said today.
He said the agreement was conveyed to him during a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart, although details on who would bear the cost of the repatriation had yet to be finalised.
Mohamad said the Foreign Ministry would act only as a facilitator, while the Home Ministry and its Myanmar counterpart would determine the arrangements.
“When I met the new Foreign Minister of Myanmar, they expressed their willingness to repatriate 5,000 refugees by sea.
“But the issue concerns the safety of these 5,000 refugees. We have stressed this point: will they be safe when they are sent back? What will happen to them? This also needs to be considered,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after attending the 59th ASEAN Day celebration at Wisma Putra, Mohamad said the repatriation should be carried out as soon as possible as the 5,000 individuals involved had already been identified.
He said the issue was not limited to Rohingya refugees, as the group included people from various ethnic communities in Myanmar, including the Chin community.
Mohamad also stressed that Myanmar must uphold and implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (5PC) before any repatriation takes place, particularly to ensure the safety of those returning.
The 5PC calls for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, constructive dialogue among all parties, the appointment of a special envoy to facilitate dialogue, humanitarian assistance and access by the ASEAN special envoy to meet relevant stakeholders.
Mohamad said ASEAN should address the refugee issue collectively despite it being an internal matter for individual countries.
“We want the Five-Point Consensus to remain the core mechanism of ASEAN towards Myanmar. We want the Myanmar government to fulfil the aspirations of ASEAN leaders because the consensus was signed and agreed upon by all, including the Myanmar leadership at the time,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously said Myanmar had agreed to receive 5,000 of its nationals from Malaysia following diplomatic negotiations and improved bilateral relations.
He described the agreement as an initial step towards addressing the issue while ensuring public order and security in Malaysia remain protected. - August 10, 2026
