Be tough on North Korea
AFTER the shockingly brazen assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jongnam at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13, Malaysia should take the opportunity to bolster its international image by showing toughness in handling the case.
Of late, Malaysia’s global image has suffered due to many international and domestic incidents and scandals, hence the need to take this incident – which has attracted a huge international attention – as a focal point to show the world that we have the national backbone to stand up to another country.
It has been revealed that the chemical used to poison Jong-nam was VX, a nerve agent classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations Resolution 687 and outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993.
The use of the deadly chemical, which is not available over the counter at your convenience pharmacy, and the participant of multiple accomplices, point strongly to an international spying conspiracy which many believe is orchestrated by no less that Kim Jong-un.
So, it was hypocritical of Pyongyang to accuse Malaysia of colluding with North Korea’s enemies, a claim which Malaysia has flatly dismissed. Malaysia did the right thing by not yielding to North Korea’s demands for immediate return of Jong-nam’s remains and giving nononsense answers to the ultra-communist nation’s various accusations.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has made the stance that Malaysia’s position in the eye of the world will not be adversely affected if it severs its diplomatic relations with North Korea “because the diplomatic ties between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur had not greatly benefited Malaysia all this while.”
As a first step, Malaysia will stop the novisa travel by North Koreans to Malaysia beginning March 6.
Interestingly, this acrimony between the two countries has not always been the case. Many Malaysians are unaware that in January 2003, the then Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had actually urged policy makers in Asia and the Pacific to improve global security by befriending North Korea.
Speaking to lawmakers from 23 Pacific Rim countries at the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir admitted that North Korea had “never been an easy country to deal with,” but world powers should deal with their fears over its suspected nuclear programs by learning “how to befriend it and get its cooperation.”
Going on a strong policy of appeasement he added that “Cutting off supplies of food and other necessities will not bring it to its knees. Perhaps we can nuclear bomb it out of existence, but that would be a confession of our failure.”
Well, as of today, this approach has been totally reversed, with Putrajaya’s bent that bowing to the hermit kingdom WOULD be a confession of our failure. And who would believe today that appeasement with communist or terrorfunding regimes would lead to peace and cooperation?
Going back to recent history, our relationship with Pyongyang, which started on June 30, 1973, has been warm. The main objective of the relationship was for achieving mutual economic benefits although it was part of a broader campaign by North Korea to enhance its ties with the developing world.
Wikipedia records that “The North Korean embassy was opened in Kuala Lumpur in 2003 along with the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang. Relations between both countries improved and in 2009, Malaysia became the first country to be able to travel to North Korea without a visa.
“North Korea imports refined oil, natural rubber and palm oil from Malaysia. Malaysia imports iron and steel products from North Korea.
In 2017, there were 300 North Koreans working in the coal mining industry in Sarawak state of Malaysia. In 2011, Malaysia’s Bernama News Agency reported that the two countries will enhance co-operation in informationrelated areas.
In 2017, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the exchange of culture.
“North Korea has been working together with Malaysia’s tourism sector to promote travel to North Korea. Since 2001, more than 1,000 Malaysians have visited North Korea.
In 2011, North Korea opened an air route to Malaysia to attract more tourists from the country. In early January 2017, the Malaysian government had decided to stop allowing North Korean state airline Air Koryo access to the country following the implementation of recent United Nations Security Council sanctions due to pressure from the United States.”
Of course, after this assassination, there are other compelling reasons for Malaysia to totally sever diplomatic ties with North Korea. The dynasty-ruled kingdom is tightly controlled by what has been suggested by CNN as “the world’s most dangerous man.”
Totally autocratic in his hold of the world’s most authoritarian regime, Kim Jong-un has proven to be barbaric in his cruelty, having executed his own uncle and auntie, and now believed to be behind the death of his half-brother Jung-nam.
The Daily Beast reports that “Dramatic, public and brutal has become the modus operandi for executions in North Korea. If reports leaking from the secretive kingdom are to be believed, top officials have been killed by anti-aircraft weapons, mortars, and even flame throwers. Defense Minister Hyong Yong-choi [was executed]… in [2015] after falling asleep during an event and not carrying out instructions. The method of execution chosen by North Korea’s draconian leadership? A round from anti-aircraft guns in front of hundreds of onlookers. Hyong followed in the grim fate of the deputy defense minister, who was killed in 2012, reportedly by mortar rounds shot off at close range.”
As a country whose prime minister has pledged commitment to human rights at international forums, Malaysia must also commit to its moral obligation by chastising and severing ties with despotic regimes such as North Korea.
Nazri Aziz should also add that we will not lose much economically without any trade relations with Pyongyang.
After all, the deeply isolated country is mired in abject poverty even by thirdworld standard. As most of its national budget goes into defense spending, the people have to suffer in their diet and lacking decent medical services. It suffered a famine in the mid-1990s.
And a 2006 report suggests that North Korea requires an estimated 5.3m tonnes of grain per year while harvesting only an estimated 4.5m tones, hence depending heavily on foreign aid. In fact, poverty in the country is so severe that it has become a topic of reporting by the international media.
As such, Malaysia should take the murder of Jung-nam in a landmark location of our country – and throwing us into world attention, again for the wrong reason – as an important turning point in our foreign relations, and especially in our relationship with a tyrannical regime.