A total of 10,000 Myanmar detainees have been repatriated to their home country since January this year via air and sea routes, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the repatriation was carried out following direct negotiations and efforts between the Malaysian Government and Myanmar authorities.
“Of that total, some were flown back under the Myanmar Government’s own initiative, while the remaining approximately 1,400 individuals were repatriated recently via that country’s naval vessels,” he said.
Anwar said this during the Ministers’ Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat today, in response to a question from Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) regarding the government’s next steps in addressing the issue of Myanmar nationals including refugees and asylum seekers, particularly the Rohingya ethnic group in the country.
He emphasized that Malaysia was the first country to successfully repatriate Myanmar detainees to their home country through effective negotiation and diplomatic approaches.
