KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will speak up in solidarity with the people of Myanmar during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (Unga) from Sept 19 to 26, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.

Myanmar will be highlighted in several meetings specifically on the country and at other meetings, apart from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s address on Sept 23 when Malaysia’s perspective on the country will be raised.

On Sept 19, Saifuddin said Malaysia will host a meeting with the deputy foreign minister of the National Unity Government (NUG), chairperson of the committee representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, representative of the National Unity Consultative Council, and Myanmar’s (NUG-appointed) Permanent Repre-sentative to the UN.

The specific meetings on Myanmar include those with the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs on Sept 20; Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar on Sept 21; and Informal Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting on Sept 22.

Saifuddin said Malaysia will also share its perspective at the High-Level Meeting to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities on Sept 21; Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Move-ment on Sept 21; and other bilateral meetings throughout the week.

“Malaysia will listen to the updates on what is really happening in Myanmar from the representatives of the people of Myanmar, exchange notes and discuss the next steps (led by the people of Myanmar), and how Malaysia can be of assistance,” he said in a Facebook posting yesterday, as reported by Bernama.

Saifuddin said Malaysia will propose to Asean, among others, to review the current humanitarian aid run by the task force that includes the junta that took over the country in 2021.

“Support the NGOs (including at the borders and within Myanmar) who are doing very well in vaccination programmes and delivering humanitarian aid, bearing in mind that there are NGOs who do not want to work with the junta or receive funding from parties that work with the junta, and that there are parties who do not want to fund actors working with the junta,” he added.

Between the Unga and the Asean Summit in November, he said Malaysia will also propose that Asean seriously review if the Five-Point Consensus is still relevant and if it should be replaced with something better.

He said the Asean Secretariat and foreign ministers should prepare the groundwork so that the leaders can make the necessary decision in November, and not wait until the leaders task the secretariat and foreign ministers to do something.

“Malaysia will also highlight the plight of the Rohingya and the funding needed for the children’s education programmes in Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc,” said Saifuddin.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/18/malaysia-to-express-solidarity-with-myanmar-people-at-un-assembly