Myanmar's junta government has agreed to take back 300,000 Rohingyas from Bangladesh as part of a repatriation process, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday.
Myanmar has also agreed to receive 5,000 Rohingyas from Malaysia, Anwar told reporters, saying the decision followed discussions and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
“This is why it is important to maintain good relations with Myanmar. They have now agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingyas from Malaysia and 300,000 Rohingyas from Bangladesh,” he said, stressing the need for “careful and prudent diplomacy”.
Anwar, however, warned that Malaysia would not tolerate disorder by Rohingya refugees in public places.
He said he had instructed the inspector-general of police to take firm action against anyone causing disturbances in public areas.
“I don't want the Rohingyas to cause disorder on the roads and in public places. This is Malaysia. They cannot cause problems or inconvenience us. If they do, the police will take action,” he said.
Anwar said calls to send Rohingyas back had persisted in Malaysia, but repatriation had previously been difficult because Myanmar had refused to accept them.
He urged the Rohingya community in Malaysia to comply with local laws and avoid causing inconvenience to the public.