As ASEAN Chairman, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has begun reshaping the bloc’s approach to one of its most intractable crises – the conflict in Myanmar.
Through discreet yet strategic engagements with the military junta and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), Anwar has accomplished what no other regional leader has since the 2021 coup – bringing both sides to the table under a humanitarian framework.
This quiet but significant breakthrough signals a shift in ASEAN diplomacy, from passive consensus to active engagement.
It marks the emergence of Malaysia as a credible and principled mediator in a deeply divided Myanmar.
While early criticism questioned the direction and ambition of Malaysia’s chairmanship, this diplomatic success has swiftly reshaped the narrative.
“Prime Minister Anwar’s meeting with leaders from Myanmar’s military government and resistance groups marks an important first step towards restoring peace in the country,” said Associate Professor Dr Samart Thongfhua, Prince of Songkla University in Thailand’s Pattani province.
In an interview with Bernama International News Service, Dr Samart, a member of the university’s Faculty of Political Science, emphasised the significance of this engagement.
“Anwar’s role as ASEAN Chair is highly significant due to his strong commitment to finding a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar. If successful, it would be a major achievement for Malaysia as a whole and for Anwar in particular.
“However, even if it does not succeed, Anwar will be recognised as a leader who has made sincere efforts in addressing the issue.”
He also reinforced the importance of collective ASEAN involvement.
“The ASEAN Chair must leverage ASEAN platforms to secure cooperation from member states. Myanmar must demonstrate openness and a willingness to accept proposals from ASEAN members.
“Most importantly, all stakeholders from various parties must be involved to achieve a common goal.”
Anwar’s visit to Thailand on April 17–18, where he met with the Chairman of Myanmar’s State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as the Prime Minister of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), Mahn Win Khaing Than, has been widely praised.
Following the meetings, Anwar expressed optimism, noting that discussions were “very positive.”
Both parties pledged to implement a ceasefire and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers, especially crucial following a deadly earthquake in Myanmar in late March.
A prominent Cambodian analyst, Dr Kin Phea, described Prime Minister Anwar’s engagement with Myanmar military leader Hlaing in ceasefire dialogue as a strategic move.
“It is a very good gesture by Prime Minister Anwar to speak to Min Aung Hlaing to find a common position.
“Malaysia is playing an important role in solving the crisis, and this is certainly good for regional stability,” said the Director-General of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia.
However, Kin believes that Malaysia should not engage only with the military or ASEAN members.
“It has to engage all other stakeholders and countries like China, India, Japan and the United States to find peaceful solutions.
“It is important to convince all the parties involved to have a ceasefire to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into the country. We cannot isolate the military because they are important in solving the crisis,” he said.
Kin said Anwar is the second ASEAN leader to meet Min Aung Hlaing after former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met Min Aung Hlaing in 2022, when Cambodia was the ASEAN chair.
However, he noted that Anwar’s meeting took place at a time when the situation and conditions in Myanmar “are more challenging.”
In a region long characterised by cautious diplomacy and non-interference, Malaysia’s initiative to bring both conflicting parties to the table is being viewed as an unprecedented and strategic move.
Myanmar has been mired in conflict since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in February 2021, prompting widespread civil unrest and armed resistance.
ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, adopted in April 2021, has yet to yield concrete progress in de-escalating the situation.
Early criticism suggesting Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship “lacks direction” has been overtaken by recent diplomatic developments.
Prime Minister Anwar’s engagement with both the Myanmar junta and the NUG is a feat that no other ASEAN leader has achieved since the 2021 coup.
By leveraging humanitarian urgency as a diplomatic entry point, Malaysia has opened a rare channel for dialogue between opposing sides.
Far from deviating from ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, Malaysia has chosen to reinterpret it through a pragmatic lens, focusing on humanitarian access, ceasefire arrangements, and inclusive engagement.
His success in getting both sides to halt provocations and commit to the safety of humanitarian personnel, following discreet meetings in Bangkok, reflects not weakness but quiet strength, the kind of leadership ASEAN has long lacked in Myanmar.
It also exemplifies a leadership style that is both principled and adaptable to the complex realities on the ground.
Rather than viewing Malaysia’s actions as a departure from ASEAN norms, they should be seen as a necessary evolution, one that reasserts the bloc’s relevance in a time of regional crisis.
Any critique that overlooks this evolving narrative risks underestimating the transformative potential of Malaysia’s chairmanship under Anwar’s stewardship.
