Charles Santiago said he was concerned as such a move would amount to an endorsement of the military junta that has been responsible for committing many atrocities on its own people.

“The reports from Myanmar are murky, confusing and deeply troubling. If true, this would amount to a dangerous endorsement of a regime that has massacred civilians, jailed political opponents, and bombed its own people.

“Any gesture that lends legitimacy to this so-called election is a betrayal of the Myanmar people and of Asean’s own principles,” he said.

Santiago, who is Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) co-chairman, added that no credible elections could be held under such a military dictatorship.

He called for Putrajaya to clarify its stand following reports that claimed foreign minister Mohamad Hasan had given his approval for the elections.

“To praise ‘election preparations’ in such a context is to normalise atrocity and to give the generals exactly what they crave most, that is, international recognition.

“If the reports are inaccurate, the foreign minister must immediately clarify Malaysia’s position. Silence will only deepen suspicion that Putrajaya is shifting towards appeasement at a time when moral clarity is desperately needed,” the former Klang MP said.

However, Santiago added, if the foreign minister had indeed met with the military junta, as reported, then he owes the Malaysian public and the people of Myanmar a full explanation.

“Why is Malaysia engaging with a regime that stands accused of crimes against humanity? What possible justification could there be for sending ‘election observers’ to a process designed to rubber-stamp military rule?

“This would not be diplomacy but complicity,” he said.

He said any elections in Myanmar was “political theatre” and that Malaysia’s participation, even symbolically, would undermine regional and global efforts to hold the generals accountable for their atrocities.