Myanmar has agreed to take back 5,000 refugees, including Rohingya, who are sheltering in Malaysia, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said. The matter was discussed during his recent meeting with Myanmar's new foreign minister, Than Mung Swe, according to a Bernama report published on August 10, 2026. Mohamad Hasan said Myanmar had indicated it was preparing to return the refugees by ship.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Mohamad Hasan said the central concern was the safety of the 5,000 people. He said Myanmar's refugee crisis should not be viewed solely as a Rohingya issue, noting that people from other ethnic groups, including Chin and Karen communities, have also become refugees because of conflict and violence.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in late July that Myanmar had agreed, after bilateral talks, to accept an initial group of 5,000 Rohingya refugees living in Malaysia. The report said Rohingya, a mainly Muslim minority in Myanmar, have long faced discrimination, persecution and statelessness. More than 1.3 million Rohingya have taken refuge in Bangladesh, while others reached Indonesia and Malaysia through dangerous sea journeys.