Myanmar’s military government has agreed to repatriate 300,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh as part of an ongoing repatriation initiative, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters, Anwar also revealed that Myanmar has agreed to receive an additional 5,000 Rohingya refugees currently residing in Malaysia following diplomatic discussions between the two countries.

Emphasizing the importance of maintaining constructive relations with Myanmar, Anwar said the breakthrough was achieved through sustained dialogue and diplomatic engagement.

“That is why it is important to maintain good relations with Myanmar. They have now agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya from Malaysia and 300,000 from Bangladesh. Why? Because we pursued negotiations and diplomatic understanding. These matters require careful and prudent diplomacy,” he said.

The Malaysian Prime Minister, however, stressed that his government would not tolerate any public disorder involving Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. He said he had instructed the Inspector-General of Police to take firm action against anyone creating disturbances in public places.

“I have already warned them, and yesterday I instructed the Inspector-General of Police that I do not want Rohingya refugees causing disturbances on roads or in public areas. This is Malaysia. They cannot create problems or inconvenience for our people. If they do, the police will take appropriate action,” Anwar stated.

Calls for the deportation of Rohingya refugees have intensified in Malaysia in recent years. Anwar acknowledged the public demand but noted that such efforts had previously been difficult because Myanmar had refused to accept its displaced nationals.

“People keep saying, ‘Send them back, send them back.’ But where were we supposed to send them? Previously, Myanmar was unwilling to receive them. That is why we had to accommodate them in designated locations,” he explained.

The Prime Minister also urged the Rohingya community living in Malaysia to respect local laws and refrain from causing inconvenience to the public.

The announcement comes amid renewed regional efforts to address the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis, with Bangladesh continuing to host more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution and violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. While Myanmar’s reported willingness to accept a significant number of refugees marks a notable diplomatic development, details regarding the timeline, verification process, and implementation mechanism of the repatriation have yet to be disclosed.