SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Bernama): Asean foreign ministers gathering in Cebu next week are set to put Myanmar’s five-year political crisis high on the agenda at their retreat, with Malaysia stepping up support for Manila’s 2026 chairmanship through the Troika mechanism.
Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said Malaysia remains firmly committed to pursuing a peaceful and durable solution to the crisis, building on the extensive consultations and engagements undertaken during Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship last year.
"The issue of Myanmar will continue to feature prominently. In this context, we are very encouraged that the Philippines’ chairship will continue Malaysia’s efforts in engaging with Myanmar stakeholders.
"This is evident through the recent stakeholders’ engagement meeting organised by the Philippines, following the process that Malaysia initiated,” he said at a media briefing ahead of the retreat.
The Philippines has assumed the chairship of Asean for 2026 under the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together”.
The retreat on Jan 28-29 will be the first ministerial-level meeting on Asean’s annual calendar.
It will be preceded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on Jan 27, as well as an informal consultation on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and the Extended Informal Consultation on the 5PC on Jan 28.
Amran said Malaysia will continue to support the Philippines throughout 2026 via the Troika mechanism, which comprises the Philippines as current Chair, Singapore as incoming Chair, and Malaysia as the immediate past Chair.
Recapping Malaysia's work in 2025, he said the country undertook an intensive and structured engagement process to open inclusive channels among all stakeholders in Myanmar.
"We conducted 200 engagements, including four stakeholder meetings in Malaysia involving around 25 entities,” he said.
Citing examples, he said the high-level engagements included Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with Chairman of Myanmar’s State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) and Acting President, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as discussions with National Unity Government (NUG) Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than and ASEAN leaders aimed at finding a solution to the Myanmar issue.
He added that the Philippines has already built early momentum this year, with its Foreign Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro undertaking a visit to Naypyidaw and convening one round of stakeholder consultation.
"This early momentum is possible because of the groundwork we laid last year. In fact, the consultation process began when Indonesia chaired ASEAN, and during Malaysia’s Chairmanship, we intensified these efforts,” he shared.
Amran also noted that Myanmar’s three-phase general election, held between December 2025 and January 2026, is expected to be one of the main issues to be discussed in Cebu.
"Given recent developments in Myanmar, ministers are expected to deliberate on Asean’s next steps, including ensuring that all stakeholders remain engaged in efforts toward a peaceful resolution,” he said.
The crisis in Myanmar has remained a key focus of Asean discussions since the February 2021 military coup, which ousted the democratically elected government and triggered widespread unrest and violence.
Asean's core response framework has been the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) adopted in April 2021, which calls for an immediate end to violence, inclusive dialogue among all parties, a special Asean envoy to facilitate talks, humanitarian assistance, and for the envoy to engage all stakeholders in Myanmar’s crisis. - Bernama
