KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Oct — Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said that Malaysia is disappointed that the Myanmar authorities have failed to cooperate with the Asean Special Envoy.

Saifuddin, via his Twitter account (@saifuddinabd), said he stated his disappointment during the Asean Foreign Minister’s Meeting today.

"… (and) unless there is progress, it would be difficult to have the Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) at the ASEAN Summit (26-28 Oct, 2021),” he said of the Myanmar junta leader’s participation in the summit.

The 11-member SAC was formed and chaired by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to rule Myanmar in the aftermath of the of February 1, 2021 coup that overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup saw the uprising of the Myanmar people, and extreme counter measures taken by the country’s security agencies saw many civilians killed.

Erywan Yusof, Brunei’s second minister for foreign affairs, was appointed as Asean’s special envoy to Myanmar following several months of negotiations between the bloc and the Myanmar military junta.

It was reported that Erywan could not make much progress in his role because authorities in Myanmar had failed to cooperate, including prohibiting his entry into the country.

The special envoy’s role was agreed upon at the Asean Leaders’ Summit in Jakarta in April, during which Member States reached a Five-Point Consensus in finding an amicable solution for the crisis in Myanmar.

The five-point consensus called for 1) the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar; 2) constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people; 3) mediation to be facilitated by an envoy of Asean’s chair, with the assistance of the secretary-general; 4) humanitarian assistance provided by Asean’s AHA Centre and 5) a visit by the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet all parties concerned. — Bernama