SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s efforts to re-engage Myanmar and support its eventual reintegration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) come amid a broader increase in engagement between the bloc’s member states and Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing, observers say.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday (Oct 8) pledged that he would do “whatever is possible” to strengthen cooperation and bring Myanmar back into the ASEAN fold.
Malaysia is the fifth ASEAN member state to host Min Aung Hlaing since he took office in April, after visits to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
Analysts say the growing engagement raises questions about the bloc’s unity and the future of the Five-Point Consensus.
Moe Thuzar, senior fellow and coordinator of the Myanmar Studies Programme at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, acknowledged the need to keep communication channels open, but warned against allowing dialogue to come at the expense of compliance and accountability.
Hunter Marston, director of the Southeast Asia Program at Australian think-tank The Lowy Institute, also noted that Malaysia’s outreach to Myanmar appears to be driven partly by domestic political considerations.
“The push stems from Anwar’s coalition’s recent electoral losses in Johor and Negeri Sembilan in July and August, which have prompted increased pressure on Anwar to act in response to popular opposition to the hosting of Rohingyas in Malaysia,” he said.
Rohingya Muslim refugees have been facing increasing harassment and scrutiny in Malaysia amid a surge of online hate speech and misinformation.
Malaysia has also said it can no longer take in refugees from Myanmar, saying they had become a financial burden and a security risk.
Anwar confirmed on Thursday that 10,493 Myanmar nationals had been repatriated so far this year and he has also vowed to push for Myanmar to accept Rohingya refugees.
While Malaysia’s position is that the visit does not amount to recognition of Myanmar’s military-backed government, analysts say the growing number of ASEAN member states engaging with Min Aung Hlaing risks weakening the bloc’s collective pressure on Myanmar and could further complicate efforts to uphold the peace plan.
“That increasingly divides ASEAN,” Marston said, adding that countries such as the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia may find themselves in a “very uncomfortable position”.
He added that this also leaves the Five-Point Consensus – which all ASEAN countries, including Myanmar, agreed to in 2021 – in a “very tenuous position”.
