KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today emphasised the need for Asean to persist in engaging with Myanmar, even though he acknowledged there are no guarantees such interventions would end the ongoing civil unrest in the country.

He said Malaysia, as the current Asean chair, is closely monitoring developments in Myanmar on a weekly basis.

"We want an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and inclusive dialogue (between the ousted civilian government and the junta). But they have not done so yet.

"Still, there has to be consistent messaging.

"Sanity must prevail. Otherwise, the country will be destroyed. Poverty is (already) endemic, and the system is failing,” he said during the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable at Hilton Kuala Lumpur today.

Anwar added that it would be "shameful” for Asean not to shoulder the responsibility of driving peace talks, though he welcomed the involvement of other countries in facilitating negotiations.

He noted that the unrest in Myanmar has spilled over its borders, with countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh grappling with the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Myanmar has been in a state of civil war since the military junta toppled the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Suu Kyi remains under house arrest.

In April, Anwar brokered a fragile ceasefire between the junta-led administration and the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) following a deadly earthquake in March that claimed over 3,600 lives.