Myanmar Agrees to Repatriate 5,000 Rohingya From Malaysia

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on July 29, 2026, that Myanmar has agreed to repatriate 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia and 300,000 from Bangladesh. This diplomatic development follows a security incident on July 27, where Malaysian authorities detained between 109 and 126 Rohingya asylum seekers who gathered outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Kuala Lumpur.

The refugees, including women and children, had traveled from Penang after being evicted from their homes. While the refugees reported forced evictions fueled by a surge in online hate speech, police officials in Penang claimed the relocation was voluntary and driven by economic and territorial competition. Following their detention, the National Security Council verified that the detainees possessed valid UNHCR documentation, leading to their release on July 29 and relocation to various sites in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Penang.

Throughout the crisis, Anwar Ibrahim maintained that the government would not compromise with groups disrupting public order or attempting to occupy areas of the country. Human Rights Watch criticized the government's approach, arguing that Malaysia should prioritize protecting evicted refugees over detentions.