MALAYSIA has called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to collaborate with Asean to resolve the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. 

In making the call, Foreign Minister Zambry Abd Kadir said both OIC and Asean should ask for the de-escalation and cessation of violence by Myanmar military authorities. 

“Both organisations must coordinate humanitarian assistance without discrimination, including in areas not controlled by the military,” he told a press conference. 

Zambry said the situation in Myanmar continued to spiral down following the military coup in February 2021, and Malaysia and Bangladesh were among the countries badly hit as both currently sheltered about 200,000 and one million Rohingya refugees respectively. 

“The dire situation of the Rohingya Muslims is still not improving. The Rohingya Muslims are still subjected to extrajudicial and arbitrary killings, various forms of sexual violence and systematic evictions from their homes,” he said. 

Zambry said Gambia’s legal case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice needed more funding, adding that Malaysia had contributed US$100,000 (RM468,000) to the OIC Fund for Rohingya in 2020. 

At the same time, he said Rohingya Muslims needed to develop resilience and self-reliance. 

“For them to resettle agreeably, member states must strongly urge the Myanmar government on the importance of safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the displaced Rohingya Muslims,” he added. 

On the scheduled bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today, Zambry said both leaders would discuss Islamophobia and how to address it globally. 

The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. – Bernama, September 20, 2023.