Rights groups insist any movement of refugees into Myanmar – where the military is fighting multiple conflicts and most Rohingya are denied citizenship – must be voluntary and backed by guarantees of safety, legal status and freedom of movement.

Wednesday’s announcement covers only a fraction of the 126,144 Rohingya registered with the United Nations refugee agency in Malaysia, but experts say it would mark a rare attempt to return refugees from a persecuted minority to their country of origin.

As of the end of February, Malaysia had 215,600 registered refugees and asylum seekers, nearly 194,000 of whom were from Myanmar – including Rohingya.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the agreement at a campaign event in Negeri Sembilan on Wednesday, presenting it as a product of bilateral ties.