Myanmar authorities have suspended sending of migrant workers to Malaysia following the recent attack and murder of Myanmar workers in the Southeast Asian nation, official media reported Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar authorities will carry out necessary measures to ensure the safety of Myanmar migrant workers in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the New Light of Myanmar quoted Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security U Maung Myint as saying.

U Maung Myint is also chairman of the Overseas Employment Supervisory Committee.

He insisted that "the recent violence in Malaysia is not because of religious violence but because of social conflict."

According to U Maung Myint, the government has sent a special delegation of Myanmar to Kuala Lumpur and held discussions with three Malaysian ministries, calling for implementation of safety measures for Myanmar migrant workers and taking action against those who committed the crime.

The special delegation, which comprised government officials like Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs U Zin Yaw, Deputy Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Daw Win Maw Tun and six members from Federation of Overseas Employment Agencies, was to probe into a case in which some Myanmar citizens were attacked and murdered in Malaysia.

Following the incident, Myanmar migrant workers who do not want to stay longer in Malaysia, have been seeking to return to their homeland.

Myanmar authorities are also negotiating with Malaysian counterparts for the legal status of Myanmar migrant workers who choose to remain there.

From May 30 to June 8, a total of five Myanmar workers were attacked and killed and six were injured, according to Myanmar authorities.

They were separately attacked by some gangs of Malaysian youths in the northern suburbs of the capital of Kuala Lumpur.

On June 4, Myanmar's Foreign Ministry called on the Malaysian authorities to immediately probe into the case and take legal action against responsible persons, while urging for providing adequate protection for Myanmar citizens living in Malaysia.

There are more than 400,000 Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia, about 300,000 of whom are legal workers, according to the Myanmar embassy there. Endi

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