KUALA LUMPUR - Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin on Wednesday (Nov 30) demanded that the Myanmar government take immediate action to stop all forms of brutality against Rohingya Muslims, even suggesting that Asean should review Myanmar's membership in the regional bloc.

Mr Khairy, who is also Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister, made the comments in his address to the Umno youth wing general assembly at Putra World Trade Centre.

"With this opportunity, I want to unequivocally state that Umno Youth condemns and denounces to the highest level, the cruel and oppressive treatment of the Rohingya community in Myanmar that is grossly inhumane and unacceptable for any human being with a mind, heart and soul," he told the youth delegates.

"Umno Youth also demands the Government of Myanmar take immediate action to stop all forms of this brutality at once.

"To Asean, we demand that Myanmar's membership in Asean be reviewed. The principle of non-interference is void when there is large scale ethnic cleansing in an Asean member state," he said to shouts of approval from the delegates.

The Myanmar army has launched a bloody crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, forcing thousands of minority Rohingya Muslims to flee across the border into Bangladesh this month.

Those who escaped recounted stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces. Hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have also been razed, according to reports.

But Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the military is hunting for those behind raids on police posts last month.