M’sia, S’pore condemn North Korea’s ballistic missile test

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has condemned North Korea’s launching of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Friday, the second ICBM the “hermit kingdom” has launched in a month.

The Foreign Ministry in a statement yesterday said North Korea’s defiance in not halting its nuclear and ballistic missile programme has grave implications on international peace and security.

It said such action was also a flagrant violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s international obligations.

“Malaysia urges North Korea to cease all provocative actions and comply with the relevant UNSC resolutions in the interest of regional and global peace and security,” the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry said Malaysia also called on North Korea and all relevant parties to exercise restraint and resume dialogue to deescalate tensions, with a view to finding a peaceful resolution to the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, Singapore also condemned the report latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile by North Korea on July 28, according to the republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The launch and its previous missile launches, including the last one that just took place less than a month ago on July 4, “have raised tensions in the region and further jeopardised the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula,” it said in a statement issued late on Saturday night.

“This will only undermine the well-being of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK)’s people,” it said.

Singapore reiterated its strong and long-standing call for the DPRK to cease all provocations immediately, and to abide by its international obligations and commitments. - Bernama