Myanmar elections won’t be certified by ASEAN; no observers to be sent, Malaysia says

ASEAN will not observe or certify Myanmar elections, Malaysia confirms.

ASEAN will neither send observers to Myanmar’s ongoing three-stage election nor certify the results, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the civilian government in 2021. The elections, which began in December, have been criticized by the United Nations, Western countries, and rights groups as an attempt to legitimize military rule through political proxies — a claim the junta denies.

Voter turnout has been low. In the second stage earlier this month, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party secured 88 percent of the contested lower house seats from the first phase.

Speaking in parliament, Mohamad said ASEAN rejected Myanmar’s request to deploy election observers during last year’s leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur. “ASEAN will not send observers, and by virtue of that, we will not certify the poll,” he added. A few member states, however, opted to monitor individually.

Mohamad also noted that ASEAN is finalizing a long-awaited code of conduct with China this year over South China Sea disputes. First pledged in 2002, the code aims to regulate activities in the contested waters, where Beijing claims sovereignty over areas also claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Vietnam.