Aliran views with alarm a news report carried by the Global New Light of Myanmar yesterday. The report covered Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan’s recent visit to Myanmar and his meeting with leaders of the military junta.
According to the report, Mohamad was “delighted with preparations and efforts of Myanmar to hold the multi-party democratic general election” and that “Asean will emphasise the best cooperation with Myanmar in its endeavours”.
The report also stated that Malaysia “vowed to send election observation teams to Myanmar”.
We in Aliran are concerned that the foreign minister’s words may have been completely misconstrued. We call on the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the prime minister’s office to immediately clarify their stand on holding elections in Myanmar during this civil war and deepening humanitarian crisis.
Aliran also calls on the government to respond similarly to the media statement made by the bipartisan Malaysian MPs on the Special Select Committee on International Trade and International Relations, headed by Wong Chen. The bipartisan group stressed that “any elections held under these circumstances cannot credibly reflect the will of the Myanmar people and may instead entrench authoritarian control under the guise of democracy”.
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Aliran further calls on the Malaysian government to emphasise that the Myanmar junta has not adhered to Asean’s five-point consensus, which calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for other commitments to a peace process in the country.
The military has so far not complied with this Asean consensus and instead has chosen to use elections as a ruse to legitimise itself. Aliran holds that a free and fair election cannot be conducted amid civil war and widespread humanitarian suffering.
Finally, as the current chair of Asean, Malaysia must ensure that the people of Myanmar are not let down. The multiple stakeholders in Myanmar – the National Unity Government, National Unity Consultative Council, ethnic resistance organisations and other political and civil society groups – must be continually engaged and not abandoned through the holding of sham elections.
Aliran executive committee
11 October 2025
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
