KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 8, 2026 — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would work toward Myanmar’s full reintegration into ASEAN after meeting Myanmar’s military-backed leader, Min Aung Hlaing.

Min Aung Hlaing was making a two-day visit to Malaysia as he sought closer regional ties. Senior Myanmar officials have been excluded from ASEAN summits since the country failed to implement the bloc’s peace plan following the 2021 coup.

Anwar acknowledged concerns about Myanmar’s political process but argued that continued engagement could support cooperation and a return to the regional community.

The leaders also discussed repatriation. Anwar said Malaysia had returned 10,493 Myanmar nationals, while Min Aung Hlaing said navy ships would be dispatched to collect more citizens held in immigration detention.

United Nations officials and rights groups have criticized involuntary returns to a country still affected by civil war. Activists in Malaysia also warned that high-level treatment of Min Aung Hlaing could confer legitimacy on his government.

Malaysia says it cannot indefinitely absorb large refugee populations and is seeking a long-term arrangement. The country is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention and treats asylum seekers as undocumented migrants.

The policy exposes a central ASEAN dilemma: how to maintain diplomatic access to Myanmar while pressing for civilian protection, political dialogue and progress on the bloc’s stalled peace commitments.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Bernama.

Featured photo: mkjr_/Unsplash (illustrative Malaysian flag).