Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan will press Myanmar’s junta for clearer details on how it intends to conduct a general election when he visits the country, particularly since the state of emergency remains in effect in 63 towns and regions.
Mohamad said his visit to Myanmar, scheduled for around Sept 19 before the 47th Asean summit, aims to assess the current political situation following the junta’s restructuring and its intention to hold elections.
“I want to discuss with them how these elections will be conducted, whether it will be a comprehensive election because there are still 63 towns or areas where the state of emergency is enforced,” he told reporters after attending the 58th Asean Day celebrations in Cyberjaya today.
“They lifted the national state of emergency, but there are 63 areas where the state of emergency is still enforced by the National Defence and Security Council. I want to get a clear picture to bring back to the Asean leadership in October.”
He said the Philippines will be included in the visit, along with Thailand and Indonesia, to ensure continuity as it will chair Asean in 2026.
Myanmar lifted the state of emergency on July 31, more than four years after seizing power in a coup, as a step towards holding elections later in 2025, but its plan to hold elections has faced widespread international condemnation and ongoing internal unrest.
Mohamad had previously said a consolidated “wishlist”, which includes the release of political prisoners, a ceasefire, and unrestricted humanitarian aid, would be presented to the junta during the visit.
He said the “wishes” were identified after months of engagements by Malaysia’s special envoy with all major stakeholders, including ethnic groups and civil society representatives.
