BANGKOK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today held a meeting with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council of Myanmar, to discuss the country's earthquake situation and humanitarian aid.

He said the "frank and constructive" discussion focused on the urgent humanitarian needs of the Myanmar people including the immediate deployment of a field hospital as well as the importance of returning the country to normalcy.

Anwar said he also welcomed recent steps to ease tensions, including yesterday's release of 4,800 detainees.

"Such gestures are a meaningful signal. We continue to encourage all parties to engage seriously in the interest of Myanmar's stability and the wellbeing of its people," he said.

The 3.30pm meeting, held at a hotel here, lasted around an hour. Also present was former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who also heads the informal advisory group to the Asean chair.

Anwar said he would be meeting representatives from Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG) tomorrow.

Anwar had previously said that this would mark the first that an Asean chair would meet with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

He said while Asean still upholds the Five-Point Consensus as the main condition to working with Myanmar, the meeting was held on humanitarian grounds.