Myanmar’s junta chief-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing will visit Malaysia in October, Malaysia’s state news agency reported on Wednesday, as the two countries continue talks on returning refugees and people displaced by conflict.
Malaysia deported nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday on three ships sent by the Myanmar government, despite concerns from the United Nations and rights groups over the safety of those being returned to the war-torn nation.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021, when a military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing plunged the country into civil war.
The retired general, who was elected as president after an April election dominated by an army-backed party, will be among several foreign leaders expected to visit Kuala Lumpur in October, Bernama cited Malaysia government spokesperson and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil as saying on Wednesday.
Malaysia plans to send back another 3,524 people to Myanmar in the second phase of its refugee repatriation programme, Fahmi was quoted as saying.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would hold discussions with Myanmar in the near future to facilitate the return of more Myanmar refugees to their country, Fahmi added.
Anwar rejected accusations that Malaysia was sending refugees back to Myanmar without concern for their safety, saying on Tuesday that continued engagement was necessary to resolve long-standing issues.
Malaysia has said refugees from Myanmar, who make up the majority of asylum-seekers in the country, had created a huge financial burden and introduced security threats.
“It’s not true to say, just push them back … We, of course, negotiate,” Anwar said, according to a Bernama report on Tuesday.
