Friendly gesture extended to prince amid strained ties
KUALA LUMPUR: North Korea has extended extraordinary privileges to the crown prince of Malaysia’s southern Johor state, such as full access to its airspace to visit Pyongyang at any time, despite strained ties between the two countries.
The offer was conveyed to Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim during a visit by Kim Yu-song, the charge d’affaires of the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday, according to a post on the Facebook page of Johor Southern Tigers, a soccer club owned by the prince.
Aside from foreign relations and current affairs, the two also discussed the upcoming Group B match of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 qualifying final round “in which both teams will ensure the safety of players and team officials”, the club’s statement said.
Malaysia has previously objected to the match being played in Pyongyang over security concerns when ties between the two countries soured following the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.
The Asian Football Confederation however refused to change the venue despite Malaysia’s appeal.
After two postponements, the qualifier between the two countries is now slated for Oct 5.
The meeting was described as bearing “very positive results” and a message from the prince would be passed to Kim Jong-un, the statement said.
Regarding the privilege to fly directly from Johor to Pyongyang anytime the prince desires, the statement said: “It is the highest honor as any other world leader will need to stop by in Beijing beforehand.”
Kim Yu-song is the highest ranking official at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur following the expulsion of Ambassador Kang Chol, after he made several undiplomatic remarks criticizing Malaysia’s handling of Kim Jong-nam’s murder.
Kim Jong-nam was killed after two women allegedly smeared the highly toxic VX nerve agent on his face at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport budget terminal on Feb 13.
Malaysia had enjoyed a cosy relationship with Pyongyang prior to the murder, but the latter took offence when North Korean agents were accused of being the masterminds of the murder. The North slammed Malaysia for colluding with “hostile forces” such as South Korea and the United States to smear North Korea’s reputation.
The crown prince, meanwhile, is no stranger to controversy. The eldest son of the sultan of Johor, one of the richest men in Malaysia, has often used his club’s Facebook to voice his opinions, including on non-soccer related matters. Those comments were sometimes critical of the government.