KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Negotiation and dialogue are among the diplomatic approaches Malaysia has practised for decades, said Political Secretary to the Finance Minister Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim.
He said Malaysia’s decision to receive Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing should not be interpreted as recognition of or agreement with the violence taking place in the country.
“Criticism of any engagement with Myanmar’s leadership is legitimate and should be heard. The abuses against the people of Myanmar cannot be whitewashed…,” he said in a Facebook post today in response to criticism by former Klang MP Charles Santiago over the Myanmar president’s visit to Malaysia.
Citing the example of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who sat across the table from Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng during the Baling Talks in 1955, he said the engagement did not amount to recognition, but reflected Tunku Abdul Rahman’s greater responsibility to seek a way to end violence and save lives.
Similarly, he said second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein visited Beijing in 1974 and met Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai while the communist threat was still present in the country, an engagement that subsequently paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
He said Malaysia had also served as a facilitator in negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as well as in the peace process in southern Thailand.
“When we rolled out the red carpet to receive United States President Donald Trump, it did not mean that we recognised their policies and positions on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or their support for Israel in the conflict in Gaza.
“In all these situations, the door to negotiations was opened not because we agreed with every party at the table, but because conflicts cannot be resolved if all channels of communication are closed,” he said.
Muhammad Kamil said that in the context of Myanmar, when Malaysia was ASEAN Chair in 2025, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also engaged with various stakeholders, including representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG).
“The approach was clear: engage with the stakeholders to seek a way out of the crisis. Therefore, the term ‘rolling out the red carpet’ may make for a catchy political headline, but it does not explain the complexity of diplomacy,” he said.
He said the more important issues at the negotiating table were Malaysia’s demand for an end to violence, access to humanitarian aid and inclusive political dialogue.
Muhammad Kamil said that in the context of current bilateral relations, Malaysia also needed to ensure that any repatriation of Myanmar nationals was carried out voluntarily, with dignity and safely.
“We can condemn atrocities while at the same time speaking to those who have the power to stop them.
“The two are not contradictory. Diplomacy is the courage to speak to those with whom we disagree when peace, regional security and human lives are at stake,” he said.
-- BERNAMA