Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged ASEAN member states to strengthen their collective resolve in addressing the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Anwar emphasised that the regional bloc must move beyond statements and transactional approaches, noting that it should be transformative. He stressed that civil conflict in Myanmar continues to be one of the most pressing and unresolved challenges facing Southeast Asia.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar stated that the path ahead is to close ranks and act in unison in facing these challenges so that they do not weaken ASEAN as a bloc. As ASEAN Chair, Malaysia sees it as a profound responsibility to mobilise every viable ASEAN mechanism and cooperate with all partners towards de-escalation of violence, and further down the road, a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process, he said. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, made these remarks in his keynote address at the 38th Asia Pacific Roundtable (APR).

Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, and Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia chairman Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah. Anwar also described the recent earthquake in Myanmar as a stark reminder that natural disasters do not wait for the semblance of stability when they strike. ‘This is not just another humanitarian crisis; it is a moral test for all of us in the region,’ he said.

Meanwhile, during the question-and-answer session at the same event, the Prime Minister remarked that it would be a disgrace if ASEAN failed to regard the Myanmar crisis as a shared responsibility. ‘Of course, we welcome Europe, America, China, or the rest; they can come in and help. But it is an ASEAN responsibility. It’s an immediate task of the neighbour,’ he said.

Commenting further, Anwar highlighted the crisis in Myanmar also affects other countries, with more than 200,000 stateless Rohingya people reported to have fled to Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. ‘So, we must speak up and take action. Is it easy? Certainly not, this is a conflict rooted in decades of enmity and hatred. But there is no viable solution except for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the divisions among us,’ he said. Anwar added that the situation in Myanmar was among the key issues discussed informally with Timor-Leste President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta during their meeting in Putrajaya yesterday.