Kuala lumpur: Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Monday that Myanmar had expressed willingness to take back 5,000 refugees, including members from the Rohingya ethnic group. He said that the matter was discussed during his recent meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, state-run news agency Bernama reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, Mohamad Hasan stated, "When I met the new foreign minister of Myanmar, they expressed their readiness to bring back these 5,000 (refugees) by ship. But the issue is the safety of these 5,000 people," he told a news conference. He added that the issue of refugees from Myanmar should not be viewed solely from the perspective of the Rohingya, as various other ethnic groups from the country had also become refugees, including the Chin and Karen communities.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in late July that Myanmar has agreed to take back an initial group of 5,000 Rohingya refugees currently living in Malaysia following bilateral negotiations. Malaysia hosts one of the region's largest Rohingya refugee populations, many of whom fled persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil later said that the repatriation would not proceed if they faced a risk of persecution or threats to their lives upon return. The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim minority in Myanmar, face discrimination, persecution and statelessness.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since 2017 due to violent crackdowns by the military and armed groups. More than 1.3 million have sought refuge in Bangladesh, with some reaching Indonesia and Malaysia after perilous sea journeys.