Malaysia has stated it will not proceed with the repatriation of 5,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if their lives are deemed to be at risk upon return. This announcement comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim revealed last week that Myanmar had agreed to accept back 5,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya minority, a move that has raised concerns among rights groups.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, without specifying the refugees' ethnicity, said on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, that Malaysia, as a responsible country, would not send refugees back if they faced persecution or threats to their lives. He added that while Myanmar's military government, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has indicated readiness to receive the refugees, Malaysia's foreign and home ministries are still reviewing the repatriation plan and will assess the criteria before proceeding.

The repatriation plan follows recent tensions in Malaysia, where refugee schools were forced to close amid increased online hate speech, refugees were evicted from informal settlements in Penang state, and over 100 Rohingya were briefly detained after gathering outside the UN refugee agency's office in Kuala Lumpur seeking assistance.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reported that 4,000 people in immigration detention identified for repatriation will undergo screening and be consolidated into one depot to facilitate the process.

Malaysia hosts over 215,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including more than 126,000 Rohingya, the country's largest refugee community. Many Rohingya fled Myanmar during the military's brutal crackdown in 2017.

Rights groups continue to warn that Rohingya refugees remain at risk of persecution if returned to Myanmar. Bryony Lau, deputy director for Asia at a rights organization, urged Malaysia to demonstrate regional leadership by not forcibly returning people targeted by Myanmar's junta brutality.

Authorities are currently screening the 5,000 refugees as part of the repatriation review process.

Sources