I support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to negotiate a lasting solution to the Myanmar refugee issue. A crisis that has persisted for decades demands action. Leaving it unresolved is no solution.
As of February 2026, Malaysia hosted approximately 215,600 UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum seekers, including 193,800 from Myanmar. Malaysia has shouldered a substantial responsibility and deserves meaningful international support.
Developed countries also use diplomacy and organised return programmes. Britain and France introduced their “one-in, one-out” arrangement in August 2025, pairing returns of eligible small-boat arrivals to France with a legal admission route to Britain.
Germany supports voluntary returns to Syria and, in January 2026, announced counselling to help prospective returnees understand conditions on the ground and prepare for reintegration. These examples demonstrate the role of international cooperation and practical assistance in addressing displacement and migration.
Malaysia should likewise pursue workable arrangements suited to our circumstances. Negotiating with Myanmar gives us a channel to press its authorities to take responsibility and secure concrete protection for those returning.
I support Anwar’s insistence that any return must protect refugees’ safety and dignity, with clear safeguards to turn diplomatic commitments into effective protection.
We must work towards a lasting solution now so that the next administration and future generations of Malaysians do not inherit the same unresolved crisis.
Our children should inherit the results of our leadership, not the consequences of our delay.