Anwar’s push to return Myanmar to Asean sparks criticism over weakened leverage

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday said Malaysia would do “whatever is possible” to strengthen cooperation with Myanmar and fully reintegrate the diplomatically isolated nation into the Asean fold.

The pledge came during an unusually high-profile official welcome for Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing, despite Malaysia’s position that such engagement does not amount to recognition of his government.

Min Aung Hlaing inspected a guard of honour in Putrajaya before holding private talks with Anwar for about 40 minutes, drawing criticism that the prime minister was giving up leverage over the former junta chief at a time when the country was pursuing Myanmar’s cooperation to repatriate thousands of its nationals.

Naypyidaw, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was also seeking greater regional legitimacy, as its political leaders had been excluded from the bloc’s summits since 2021 for failing to implement a peace plan calling for an end to violence, inclusive dialogue and humanitarian aid.