Two Malaysian UN staff leave N. Korea

PM Razak rules out cutting off relations with North Korea

Kuala Lumpur, March 9: The UN’s World Food Programme said two of its Malaysian staff left North Korea on Thursday after Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang banned each other’s citizens from leaving their countries in a row over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam.

“The staff members are international civil servants and not representatives of their national government. They work on WFP’s programmes in DPR Korea,” the UN agency said, adding that they had arrived in Beijing.

North Korea and Malaysia on Tuesday banned each other’s citizens from leaving their countries, with Kuala Lumpur saying its nationals were effectively being held “hostage”.

The countries had unusually strong links for years, but ties have rapidly deteriorated since Kim Jong-nam’s assassination at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak posted on Facebook that he had been briefed about the release.

“Stella Lim and Nyanaprakash Muniandy have both safely arrived in Beijing,” he said.

Mr Najib again ruled out severing ties with North Korea, with whom he said Kuala Lumpur must negotiate to secure its citizens’ release, but reaffirmed Malaysia wouldn’t allow North Koreans to leave too.

“We will not relent from our firm approach,” he said. “I pledge that the government will do everything possible to ensure that our citizens continue to be safe and will be able to return to Malaysia.”

A senior government official said that Malaysia was not responsible for securing the release of the two UN staff.

“They carry UN laissezpasser documents.”

Mr Najib also said that he had spoken to Malaysia’s counsellor in Pyongyang.

“I would like to update that he, his family along with all of the other Malaysians in North Korea are safe,” he said.

The Malaysian foreign ministry said 11 of its citizens were currently in North Korea — three embassy staff, six family members and two who work for the UN’s World Food Programme.