When Malaya became independent, it accepted as citizens the non-Malays who were brought in by the British, and therefore Myanmar should likewise have accepted its ethnic Rohingya when it became independent.

Saying this at a forum on the Rohingya crisis today, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad added that accepting residents brought in by the colonial masters was a norm in all Asean countries.

"Malaysia had a lot of people of non-Malay origin brought in by the British.

"When we became independent, they were not chased out. They were not only accepted by this country, but also accepted as citizens.

"Citizenship was extended even to those who did not qualify to become citizens. We don't expel people," Mahathir said.

Likewise, he said, the Chinese population in Indonesia was also accepted while in the Philippines, people of Chinese origin have even become presidents of the country.

"Here, in Malaysia, we people of different ethnic origins may have our quarrels and disagreements, but we don't go and kill people who are here just because they were brought here by the previous regimes.

'Good Buddhists don't kill people'

"Myanmar must be told to behave like good Buddhists. Good Buddhists don't kill people.

"These people have forgotten, or decided to ignore, the teachings of their own religion," he said.

Mahathir noted that the Rohingyas had been in Myanmar for 800 years, even before the British era.

Their homeland, Rakhine, was initially a state on its own but was made part of British Burma.

Mahathir, who admitted to lobbying for Myanmar's entry into Asean when he was prime minister, said the country's actions today were unacceptable and he described the treatment of the Rohingyas in Myanmar as "genocide".

If this keeps on, he said, Myanmar should consider exiting Asean or be expelled.

"If needed, Myanmar should be ostracised because its behaviour is unacceptable in this age," he said.

He added that while countries such as Malaysia are left to deal with the Myanmar refugee crisis, the root of the problem is in Myanmar.

Asean must therefore reconsider its non-interference policy as the member countries cannot sit and do nothing when genocide is being committed in Myanmar, Mahathir added.