KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar Wednesday said ASEAN is in a better position to handle the Myanmar issue than the United Nations Security Council.

    The Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would be able to deal with the Myanmar issues effectively with its proposed charter which introduces some sanctions for its members, Syed told reporters.

    Syed made the remarks after receiving a courtesy call from his Danish counterpart Per Stig Moller in the administrative center of Putrajaya.

    He argued that the UN Security Council is not the appropriate platform to discuss the Myanmar issue because the council is to discuss matters that affect peace and stability.

    Apart from ASEAN, the UN General Assembly is another appropriate platform to discuss Myanmar's human rights issue, Syed Hamid said.

    He reiterated that ASEAN wants to engage instead of excluding or isolating Myanmar in solving the issue.

    Syed added he believes Myanmar would change towards democratic reforms but it would take some time.

    The United States wanted to bring the Myanmar issue to the Security Council earlier this month, but China, Russia and South Africa voted against the draft resolution which intends to cast further pressure on Myanmar for its political, economic and social problems.