DAP MP backs Anwar’s efforts to resolve ‘Myanmar refugee crisis’

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has voiced support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to seek a lasting solution to the “Myanmar refugee crisis” in Malaysia.

Lim said there were reportedly 215,600 refugees in the country registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as of February, with 193,800, or nearly 90%, originally from Myanmar.

He said negotiating with Myanmar on the matter gave Malaysia a channel to urge Yangon to take responsibility and ensure the protection of repatriated refugees.

“I support Anwar’s insistence that any return must protect refugees’ safety and dignity, with clear safeguards to turn diplomatic commitments into effective protection.

“A crisis that has persisted for decades demands action. Leaving it unresolved is no solution.

“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,” he said in a statement.

The DAP veteran said countries like Germany supported the voluntary return of Syrian refugees, while providing counselling for prospective returnees seeking to reintegrate into Syrian society.

He said the UK and France also introduced an initiative in August 2025, where small-boat arrivals in France are given a legal admission route to the UK.

“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.”

Malaysia launched the first phase of a repatriation programme yesterday involving about 5,000 Myanmar refugees, with around 1,476 sent home aboard three Myanmar naval vessels.

Anwar defended the initiative after criticism from civil society, saying Malaysia could not be expected to accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees indefinitely without engaging Myanmar authorities on a solution.

He said Malaysia also sought to ensure that the welfare of the refugees would be ensured when Myanmar agreed to take them back.