Malaysia offers to host Myanmar leader for Rohingya return

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has offered to host Myanmar's military-appointed president, Min Aung Hlaing, for an official visit, conditioning the invitation on Myanmar accepting the return of Rohingya refugees. The proposal, announced during a podcast interview on September 16, represents a significant diplomatic shift for Malaysia, which has been among the most vocal critics of Myanmar's military government since the 2021 coup. Anwar stated that while Malaysia, in line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), does not recognize Myanmar's new government, it needs an authority to negotiate with on refugee returns. "I invited him to say we can be friends, we can trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them refugees back," Anwar said. He framed the approach as pragmatic diplomacy, adding, "To me, that's better diplomacy than just shouting angrily at Myanmar." The offer is directly linked to a repatriation agreement announced in July, under which Myanmar has agreed to take back 5,000 refugees in stages. Malaysia has finalized the first phase of this voluntary program, with approximately 1,500 refugees scheduled to return on September 29.