Myanmar has agreed to repatriate 300,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and another 5,000 currently living in Malaysia following negotiations with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a meeting with local voters in Chennah, Anwar said the agreement was the result of diplomatic engagement with Myanmar's military-led government, reports The Star.
"That is why it is important to maintain good relations with Myanmar. They have now agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya from Malaysia and 300,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar," Anwar said.
"Why? Because we negotiated. These matters require careful diplomacy," he added.
Anwar also said Malaysia would not tolerate Rohingya refugees disrupting public order, revealing that he had instructed the country's Inspector-General of Police to take firm action against those causing disturbances in public places.
"I have already warned them, and yesterday I instructed the Inspector-General of Police that I do not want Rohingya disrupting roads and public places," he said.
"This is Malaysia. They cannot disturb us. The police will take action."
The Malaysian premier said previous calls to deport Rohingya refugees had been difficult to implement because Myanmar had refused to accept them.
"People say, 'Send them back, send them back.' But where do we send them? Previously, Myanmar did not want to receive them," he said.
"So we had to place them in designated locations."
Anwar also urged the Rohingya community in Malaysia to respect local laws and avoid causing inconvenience to the public.
"I have told the Rohingya: do not disrupt the businesses of Malaysians. Do not disrupt traffic or the places where people live. Otherwise, people will become angry," he said.
"This is our country. Malaysia is our country. Others should not disrupt it. That is why we have to be firm.