Najib calls for all Malaysians’ support

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for unity yesterday as he tried to bring home nine Malaysians stuck in North Korea amid a growing row over the murder of Kim Jong Nam, while warning Pyongyang not to abuse Malaysia’s ‘‘hospitality’’.

North Korea barred Malaysians from leaving the country on Tuesday, sparking titfortat action by Malaysia as relations soured over its probe into the February 13 murder of Kim, the estranged halfbrother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim Jong Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysian police say he was assaulted by two women who smeared his face with VX, a chemical classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.

In a blog posting, Najib called on all Malaysians to unite in giving ‘‘us full support towards all efforts that are ongoing to resolve this problem’’.

Malaysian police have identified eight North Koreans in connection with the case. They say three are still in Kuala Lumpur, hiding at the North Korean embassy.

Malaysia is one of the few countries that has for decades maintained ties with isolated North Korea. But as relations plunged in the wake of the murder, Malaysia recalled its envoy from Pyongyang and expelled the North Korean ambassador.

On Thursday, Najib said North Korea had guaranteed the safety of Malaysians banned from leaving the country, as two Malaysian UN employees left the state in a possible sign that diplomatic tensions had begun to settle.

Najib, who said any negotiations with Pyongyang would be conducted behind closed doors, called for nationwide prayers yesterday for the safety of the Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea. — Reuters