PETALING JAYA: Former foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah has urged Malaysia to bring all warring factions in the Myanmar conflict to the negotiation table, saying a properly mediated resolution would define a successful Asean chairmanship.
In an exclusive interview with FMT, Saifuddin said Malaysia could stand out in its role as the current head of the regional bloc by outlining a clear roadmap to resolve once and for all the long-running conflict.
“The challenge is to engage all sectors, including the National Unity Government (NUG) and the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC).
“If we can by the end of our tenure as chair announce a specific roadmap and when a transition will happen, that would be the best KPI (key performance indicator).
“It would be a huge bonus for Malaysia as chair. But I understand how difficult it is,” he said.
Saifuddin said that while Malaysia would benefit diplomatically from hosting the negotiations, the real winners would be the people of Myanmar.
The NUG and NUCC form Myanmar’s government-in-exile, which was established after a 2021 military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing triggered widespread protests and civil unrest nationwide.
Civil rights groups claim the junta has arrested thousands of protesters and activists since overthrowing the democratically-elected government of the National League for Democracy, led by iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The coup has seen Myanmar descend into a multi-sided civil war and has displaced at least three million people, according to United Nations estimates.
Engage both sides equally
Saifuddin, the Indera Mahkota MP, criticised what he called the “unequal reception” given by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Myanmar’s opposing factions.
He said Anwar, who recently held a face-to-face meeting with the junta during a visit to Thailand, has so far only engaged with the NUG virtually.
“I was told (this) was due to security concerns or logistics. If that was the case, then it could have been done elsewhere. I know it may seem symbolic, but it’s important because the junta is losing control. They’re holding on to less than 30% of Myanmar.
“More importantly, it (the NUG) is the democratically elected government of Myanmar. They should be given the appropriate protocol—equal, if not more, than the junta,” he said.
While Saifuddin acknowledged that Anwar’s engagement with the NUG marked a first for any Asean chair, he said “it could have been a better first”.
On April 18, Anwar held a virtual meeting with NUG Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann in the first publicised engagement between an Asean chair and the NUG.
Until that unprecedented dual outreach, Asean chairs had refrained from directly engaging with the NUG to avoid legitimising non-state actors. They had simultaneously maintained a distance from the junta.
Last week, Saifuddin said the April 17 meeting between the prime minister and the junta leader in Bangkok was “a step in the wrong direction”. He said Malaysia had previously refused to recognise the junta, both in bilateral and multilateral relations.
