KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will invite Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to make an official visit to Malaysia to continue negotiations on finding a solution to the issue of Myanmar refugees in the country.
He said the matter had been conveyed to the Home Ministry and Cabinet two weeks ago, with the aim of obtaining Myanmar’s agreement to gradually accept the return of its refugees in Malaysia.
“I am inviting him to say that we can be friends and trade…, but Myanmar must accept (the Myanmar refugees in Malaysia). If 200,000 cannot be taken back at once, take them back gradually, and we will help resolve the matter,” he said, in the ‘SembangOhhYeahh’ podcast titled ‘Eps Khas: Siapa Sebenarnya Anwar Ibrahim, Di Sebalik Gelaran PMX?’, which was aired on YouTube today.
Anwar said negotiations with the Myanmar leadership were necessary, as the repatriation process could not be resolved if the country refused to accept them.
He said meetings with the Myanmar leadership had previously been held in Bangkok, Thailand and Beijing, China, to discuss humanitarian and security issues, as well as the need to find a solution to the issue of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia.
At the meeting in Bangkok, Anwar said he conveyed Malaysia’s position that the violence against them must stop, as the situation also affected Malaysia.
The repatriation process was not merely about sending them back to Myanmar, but must also be accompanied by guarantees that their safety would be protected, and that facilities such as medical care could be provided to those in need.
“The condition is, you (the Myanmar government) must stop killing (returning refugees) and stop bombing Rakhine, Myanmar. Secondly, give them access to the medical facilities provided. Both conditions were accepted (during the negotiations),” he said.
Anwar said the issue of repatriating the refugees was subsequently raised during the meeting in Beijing, when he expressed Malaysia’s readiness to maintain good relations with Myanmar, but at the same time, asked the country to find a way to accept them back.
“But I said, you must find a way to take them back. Otherwise, it will be difficult later. These are people in need. They are refugees and have no jobs. Local people do not like them because they have many problems. So, we also have our limits,” he said.
In this regard, Anwar said the negotiations resulted in Myanmar agreeing to accept 5,000 refugees, with about 1,500 more expected to be repatriated within the next one to two weeks.
He added that the government was also prepared to bear certain costs, including travel, clothing and food, to facilitate the repatriation, as the measure was more practical than supporting them over a prolonged period.
At the same time, Anwar acknowledged that the presence of Myanmar refugees had caused concern among some members of the local community, particularly when there were incidents involving violations of the law, including unauthorised gatherings.
The government would not compromise on violations of the law, and the authorities must take immediate action when such incidents occur.
However, he said strict enforcement must be balanced with humanitarian values, by taking into account the circumstances of those who had endured hardships after leaving their country of origin.
“I understand the people’s criticism. They are struggling, and it is difficult for them to find work. The Rohingya (Myanmar refugees) can sometimes be unruly in public…, but Malaysia must uphold our image as a country that has humanity,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the government aimed to ensure that Myanmar refugees did not remain in Malaysia and that a solution must be reached through negotiations, so that their repatriation could be carried out in an orderly and safe manner.
