Myanmar to take back 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia

Myanmar has agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya currently in Malaysia following negotiations between the two countries, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, adding that the breakthrough reflects Malaysia’s strong diplomatic ties with the military-led nation.

The Prime Minister said Myanmar had also agreed to receive 300,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh as part of the repatriation effort.

“That is why it is important to maintain good relations with Myanmar. They have now agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya from Malaysia and 300,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

“Why? Because we negotiated. These matters require careful diplomacy,” he said in his speech when meeting local voters in Chennah on Wednesday.

At the same time, Anwar stressed that Malaysia would not tolerate Rohingya refugees disrupting public order, revealing that he had instructed the Inspector-General of Police to take firm action against those causing disturbances in public places.

“I have already warned them, and yesterday I instructed the Inspector-General of Police that I do not want Rohingya disrupting roads and public places.

“This is Malaysia. They cannot disturb us. The police will take action,” he said.

Anwar said calls for the Rohingya to be deported had previously been difficult to implement because Myanmar refused to accept the refugees.

“People say, ‘Send them back, send them back.’ But where do we send them? Previously, Myanmar did not want to receive them.

“So we had to place them in designated locations,” he said.

The Prime Minister also urged the Rohingya community in Malaysia to respect local laws and avoid causing inconvenience to the public.

“I have told the Rohingya: do not disrupt the businesses of Malaysians. Do not disrupt traffic or the places where people live. Otherwise, people will become angry.

“This is our country. Malaysia is our country. Others should not disrupt it. That is why we have to be firm,” he added.