Myanmar will stop sending workers to Malaysia amid a simmering diplomatic row over the former’s treatment of its ethnic Rohingya community.

“Myanmar has temporarily stopped sending workers to Malaysia from Dec 6, 2016," the government said a brief in a statement, according to AFP.

This follows an announcement by Myanmar that it would lodge an official complaint to Malaysia over Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's participation at a pro-Rohingya rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

The rally was held in protest against alleged state-sanctioned violence against the Rohingya community in the western Rakhine state of Myanmar.

Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, who visited the Rakhine state said the situation could not be described as a "genocide".

Already reducing numbers

According to the Human Resources Ministry, there are 141,158 Myanmar workers in Malaysia, mostly working in the manufacturing industry.

It is unclear if Myanmar’s notice yesterday was issued following growing concern of migrant labour conditions in Malaysia or in response to Najib’s involvement in the rally.

In August, the Myanmar Times reported flights of workers have returned after rescued from detention in Malaysia.

The Myanmar embassy in Malaysia said more than 12,000 Myanmar migrant workers have been repatriated since 2015, it reported, some with help from Malaysia-based NGOs.

In January, labour recruitment agencies in Myanmar said it will stop sending workers to Malaysia after a tenfold increase in visa fees.