Kuala Lumpur, October 8: Myanmar’s military-backed President Min Aung Hlaing is seeking to strengthen ties with Malaysia as his government attempts to improve diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries amid continuing conflict and international criticism.
Min Aung Hlaing, who became president in April following a military-backed election, met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other officials on Thursday during his first visit to Malaysia since assuming the presidency.
The visit comes as Myanmar faces pressure from fellow ASEAN members to end the ongoing civil war and pursue a political solution. ASEAN has continued to exclude Myanmar’s military leadership from its highest-level meetings following the 2021 military takeover that triggered widespread armed resistance.
During his visit, Min Aung Hlaing sought to reassure Malaysian investors that Myanmar was moving towards democracy and working to restore stability, according to Myanmar state media.
Prime Minister Anwar said Malaysia wanted to strengthen cooperation with Myanmar while continuing to raise concerns over democratic reforms and the violence in the country.
Anwar said bilateral trade had increased by more than 140 per cent year-on-year, while Min Aung Hlaing described Malaysia as Myanmar’s fourth-largest trading partner and ninth-largest investor.
The Myanmar leader has also visited Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as part of efforts to rebuild regional ties that deteriorated following the 2021 military takeover.
Malaysia has maintained that hosting Min Aung Hlaing does not amount to formal diplomatic recognition of Myanmar’s government. However, analysts and rights groups have criticised the high-profile reception, arguing that increased bilateral engagement could help normalise the military-backed government’s regional position.
Rights activists staged a peaceful protest in Kuala Lumpur against the visit, calling on ASEAN countries not to provide greater legitimacy to Myanmar’s military leadership.
Repatriation of Myanmar Nationals
The visit also comes days after nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals were repatriated from Malaysia, drawing criticism from the UN refugee agency and rights organisations over concerns about the security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar.
Anwar said 10,493 Myanmar citizens had been returned from Malaysia to Myanmar by flights and naval vessels so far this year. Nearly 1,500 people were repatriated last week as part of a larger plan involving around 5,000 people who have agreed to return in stages.
Min Aung Hlaing pledged to accelerate the repatriation process and said Myanmar would send a naval vessel to Malaysia to assist with further returns.
Malaysia says around 11,804 Myanmar nationals remain in detention facilities across the country.
Concerns remain over the fate of returnees, particularly members of vulnerable communities who could face persecution or forced military recruitment after returning to a country still experiencing armed conflict.
