Najib was here for the 7th International Institute for Strategic Studies and Asia Security Summit.
He said in his speech to the summit that there had been obstacles blocking relief work.
"While we sympathise with the situation in Myanmar, we respect its sovereignty and resort to Asean-led initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid and assistance.
02 June 2008: New Straits Times
SINGAPORE: Asean is willing to provide more relief for the victims of cyclone Nargis, and Myanmar should let it, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.
"A human tragedy of the highest proportions might fall on the people of Myanmar if the government of Myanmar does not allow greater participation of Asean countries and the world," he said at a press conference here.
"We are going to do more, if we are allowed to. This includes offers of helicopters, boats and even small rubber boats by Asean countries," the deputy prime minister said.
On the possibility of the armed forces of Asean members undertaking disaster relief, Najib said the military was the only organisation found to be effective over time.
"Our (military) involvement is strictly humanitarian in nature and there was no other agenda when we sent our forces to stricken areas in the past."
Najib was here for the 7th International Institute for Strategic Studies and Asia Security Summit.
He said in his speech to the summit that there had been obstacles blocking relief work.
"While we sympathise with the situation in Myanmar, we respect its sovereignty and resort to Asean-led initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid and assistance.
"Malaysia welcomes Myanmar's trust and confidence in Asean's role in co-ordinating the international response.
"Asean has neither been a destablising force in the region nor interfered in the internal affairs of member countries."
He said restoring security in complex emergencies should not be undertaken on the basis of unilateral action.
"Iraq is a classic example of this. It is of the utmost importance to respect the sovereignty of the affected state to dispel any fear of interference in the internal affairs of that state. Therefore, upon restoring security, there should be a graceful exit by the countries."
He said peace-building in a complex emergency must be based on trust and transparency.
"The mediator should not dictate terms and conditions in cases where there is a need for parties to negotiate settlements.
"Instead, it is important to create a conducive environment for them to negotiate to ensure lasting peace," he said in his address titled "Restoring Peace in Complex Emergencies".
He said he did not challenge the conventional approach to a complex emergency but was of the view that it should be seen in a wider context to include situations where a state is badly affected by natural disasters.
He said the humanitarian catastrophe unleased by such a disaster was no less severe than in a conflict situation.
The December 2004 tsunami and its impact on Aceh, and cyclone Nargis, which devastated Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta, were examples of this.
Najib said he had proposed at the 2006 forum the construction of a regional security community.
"In view of the growing frequency and severity of natural disasters, I had then mooted the idea of setting up a regional humanitarian relief co-ordination centre."
He said since then there had been positive developments , with efforts being stepped up to implement the Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.
He said following the agreement, an interim Asean Co-ordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management had been set up in Jakarta. It would start operations by year-end.
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