Malaysia Begins Repatriation of 1,476 Myanmar Detainees in First Phase

LUMUT, Sept 29 – Malaysia commenced the first phase of a joint repatriation initiative on Tuesday, returning 1,476 Myanmar detainees aboard three Myanmar naval vessels, including a hospital ship.

Home Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Policy and Control) Datuk Makhzan Mahyuddin confirmed that the initial group comprises 1,370 men, 79 women, 20 boys, and seven girls aged between eight and 60.

The detainees were transferred from 14 immigration detention depots nationwide, with the largest contingents originating from the Belantik depot in Kedah and the Tanah Merah depot in Kelantan.

“The individuals were identified by the Myanmar Government and their names submitted to Malaysia through a diplomatic note dated Aug 13, 2026,” Makhzan told a press conference onboard KD Sri Indera Sakti at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut.

Operation Logistics & Multi-Agency Coordination

Around 850 personnel across various agencies—including the Immigration Department, RMN, Royal Malaysia Police, National Security Council, Foreign Ministry, and Home Ministry—were deployed for the operation.

Logistical preparations began at 4:00 AM at the Manjung District Stadium, where detainees underwent final medical screenings, identity verification, and documentation checks before being transported in 46 buses to the Lumut naval base.

The returnees were boarded onto the UMS Moattama, escorted by the UMS King Sin Phyu Shin and the Myanmar Navy hospital ship UMS Thanlwin, which anchored off Lumut on Monday. Vessels from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Marine Police, and RMN escorted the foreign warships to the boundary of Malaysian territorial waters as a precautionary security measure.

Broader Agreement for 5,000 Nationals

Makhzan emphasized that the operation is conducted voluntarily, safely, and responsibly under bilateral procedures agreed upon by both governments to ensure orderly immigration management.

The Immigration Department will conduct a comprehensive operational review of the initial phase before proceeding with subsequent stages aimed at repatriating a total of 5,000 Myanmar nationals.

The exercise follows a July 29 announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirming that the Myanmar government agreed to accept the return of approximately 5,000 detained nationals following bilateral diplomatic negotiations.

–NMT