Najib softens tone in bid to get Malaysians out of N. Korea
kuala lumpur — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak struck a softer tone with North Korea on Wednesday, a day after accusing it of treating Malaysians as “hostages” amid a diplomatic meltdown over the murder of the estranged half-brother of the North’s leader.
Malaysian police have identified eight North Koreans wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of Kim Jong Nam who was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 by assassins who Malaysian police say used a super-toxic nerve agent that killed him within 20 minutes. Police say three of them are hiding at the North Korean embassy.
In a bid to “ensure the safety” of its diplomats and citizens in Malaysia, North Korea retaliated on Tuesday by banning Malaysians from leaving the country until the case was “properly solved.” Najib initially denounced move as an “abhorrent act” while ordering a reciprocal ban.
In Malaysia’s Borneo state of Sarawak, 37 North Koreans were detained on Tuesday at a construction site for overstaying their visas, a state government source said. They were among 176 North Koreans working in Sarawak. Those who overstayed, would be given 30-day extensions, however, an immigration source said. But faced with the priority of securing the release of the 11 Malaysians stuck in North Korea, Najib sounded more conciliatory in parliament on Wednesday, saying there were no plans to cut diplomatic ties.
“We are a country that’s friendly to them,” Najib said, after reassuring MPs that there was no threat to the safety of the three embassy staff, six family members, and two other Malaysians in North Korea. —