June 26, 2026
YANGON – Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan said on June 25 that Myanmar’s newly appointed government appears to be more open to suggestions compared to the previous government.
He made the remarks as Southeast Asian countries continue to make efforts to engage with the Myanmar government.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was elected president in April and formed a new government.
This is the government that emerged after the election to show that there was a transition back to civilian rule.
However, critics and Western governments have dismissed the election as a sham.
The Malaysian Foreign Minister told the Malaysian parliament that he met with Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe in Nay Pyi Taw last month.
During the meeting, they discussed progress on the five points of common understanding.
In addition, Mohamed Hassan said that other important issues were discussed, including the release of political prisoners and resolving the problem of Bengali (originally referred to as Rohingya) refugees arriving in Malaysia.
He said, “Compared to the situation we faced when Malaysia was the ASEAN Chair last year, this time around, we see that the Myanmar side has been more open to the submissions.”
The ASEAN peace plan is generally seen as unsuccessful in practice.
This is because the Burmese military refuses to negotiate with groups it considers “terrorists”, the Malaysian foreign minister said.
However, Asean leaders have instructed foreign ministers to explore ways to work with Myanmar to implement the peace plan, and if necessary, the terms of the agreement can be amended, added Mohamed.
“If we need to make adjustments, we will make adjustments. But any changes need to be approved by all ASEAN leaders,” the Malaysian foreign minister said.