MALAYSIA REAFFIRMS ASEAN SOLIDARITY AND HUMANITARIAN COMMITMENT IN VISIT TO MYANMAR 

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, in his capacity as the Chair of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, today concluded a humanitarian mission to Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in the aftermath of the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar and surrounding regions on 28 March 2025.

The humanitarian mission was agreed upon by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers during the Special Emergency ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Aftermath of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, that was convened by Malaysia as ASEAN Chair on 30 March 2025. The humanitarian mission was undertaken as a demonstration of ASEAN’s solidarity with the people of Myanmar and a reaffirmation of the region’s collective commitment to supporting urgent humanitarian and recovery efforts. The Foreign Minister was joined by his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. Thailand was the other ASEAN Member State impacted by the earthquake.

During the visit, the Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Thailand jointly held meetings with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) of Myanmar and the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Shwe. On behalf of ASEAN, the Foreign Minister expressed his deep condolences and conveyed ASEAN’s unwavering support for the people of Myanmar. He reiterated ASEAN’s collective commitment to providing timely and effective relief, humanitarian assistance and long-term recovery support to the affected communities in Myanmar.

In the engagements, the Foreign Minister welcomed the temporary ceasefire declared by the SAC from 2 to 22 April 2025, and acknowledged other unilateral ceasefire announcements by other Myanmar stakeholders. He emphasised the need for all parties to fully observe and respect the temporary ceasefire. The Foreign Minister proposed for an extension of the temporary ceasefire, cognisant of the devastation of the earthquake and long-term humanitarian response requirements, in line with the general sentiment expressed by other ASEAN Foreign Ministers during the Special Emergency Meeting on 30 March 2025.

He further proposed that the humanitarian ceasefire could serve as a precursor for wider, inclusive dialogue among all Myanmar stakeholders, consistent with the objectives of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

As part of Malaysia’s continued humanitarian assistance, the Foreign Minister officially handed over 15 tonnes of relief supplies upon his arrival in Nay Pyi Taw. The supplies were handed to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) which is mandated to coordinate ASEAN’s contributions, including with the Myanmar authorities. The supplies were delivered via an ASEAN-coordinated relief flight, operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM), from the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) warehouse in Subang, Malaysia. A third relief flight carrying additional humanitarian supplies is scheduled to arrive in Nay Pyi Taw on 7 April 2025.

Malaysia’s humanitarian contributions also include a RM10 million allocation from the Government of Malaysia, as well as the deployment of 50 personnel from the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART). The SMART team, currently operating in the Sagaing Region, has provided critical support to immediate search and rescue efforts.

Before departing Myanmar, the Foreign Minister received a situational briefing from the AHA Centre representatives in Nay Pyi Taw, who confirmed that humanitarian operations have now transitioned from search and rescue to the recovery phase.

The humanitarian mission further underscored ASEAN unity and coordinated regional action. The joint mission by the Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Thailand is a strong testament to ASEAN unity and solidarity, particularly in the face of adversity as well as ASEAN’s capacity to respond swiftly and collaboratively to humanitarian crises.

Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, will continue working closely with other ASEAN Member States, the AHA Centre, and international humanitarian partners to ensure that timely, sustained, and needs-based assistance reaches the people of Myanmar during this critical period.

 

 

PUTRAJAYA

5 April 2025