ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

In a Diplomatic Shift, Malaysian PM Hosts Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing

While the talks focused on the repatriation of refugees, Anwar also appeared to endorse Myanmar’s reintegration into ASEAN.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing attend a welcome ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Oct. 8, 2026.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met today with Myanmar’s military-appointed leader Min Aung Hlaing, pledging to work for Myanmar’s reintegration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Myanmar yesterday evening for a two-day visit, part of a campaign of diplomatic outreach aimed at shoring up key diplomatic partnerships normalizing his country’s relationship with the Southeast Asian bloc.

After being granted an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex in Putrajaya this morning, Min Aung Hlaing held a one-on-one meeting with Anwar, the Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported. This was followed by a meeting involving senior ministers and officials from both countries. Min Aung Hlaing also spoke to Malaysian business leaders late yesterday, urging them to invest in his country.

In a post on X after the meeting, Anwar said that his half-hour discussion with Min Aung Hlaing “focused on the plight of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia and the prospects for their voluntary, safe and dignified return, regardless of ethnicity.” He added, “I believe direct dialogue and negotiations with President Aung Hlaing and Myanmar’s leadership are essential to securing a lasting resolution.”

Both Anwar and the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously indicated that this would be a primary point of discussion. The two nations recently agreed to the repatriation of around 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently being held in Malaysian immigration detention centers. The first batch of 1,476 people departed Malaysia via ship on September 29.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, however, Anwar suggested that his engagement with Myanmar extended beyond the refugee issue. Indeed, according to Reuters, he said his government had ongoing concerns about the situation in Myanmar but was willing to respect outstanding differences. He also appeared to endorse the normalization of Myanmar’s relations with ASEAN, , which has excluded Myanmar from its summits since late 2021, for its lack of effort to implement its Five-Point Consensus conflict resolution plan.

“I would say that we and our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration and ultimately, take ​Myanmar as part of ​our community of ⁠nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN,” Anwar said. According to Bernama, Anwar also “welcomed Myanmar’s efforts to pursue reforms and policy adjustments aimed at addressing the country’s complex challenges.”

Malaysia is the fifth member state of ASEAN to host Min Aung Hlaing since he took office as president in April, after trips to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is also the first nation from maritime Southeast Asia to take such a step.

The visit marks a significant diplomatic shift for Malaysia, which had previously been among the ASEAN........

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