Malaysians in N Korea 'clueless', 'frightened' about ban

Following North Korea's move to ban Malaysians from leaving the country, local media organisations have attempted to contact Malaysians in Pyongyang.

One woman whom Bernama spoke to however was in the dark about the restriction, which has made international headlines together with Putrajaya's tit-for-tat with regard to North Koreans in Malaysia and prompted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to convene an emergency national security council meeting this evening.

“We did not receive any news about the ban,” she said declining to reveal her identity.

Meanwhile, NST online reported that when it contacted the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang, the woman who answered sounded frightened and was hesitant to talk.

“I’m sorry. I’m not authorised to say anything at the moment,” said the woman, who also declined to reveal her identity.

Malaysiakini's repeated attempts to call the embassy went unanswered.

According to Wisma Putra, there are 11 Malaysians in North Korea, including embassy staff and their families.

This morning, North Korean state run media KCNA reported the temporary travel ban.

“The protocol department of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, at the request of a relevant organ, on Tuesday informed the Malaysian embassy here of its decision to temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens in the DPRK until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of the DPRK in Malaysia is fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia.

“It expressed hope that the Malaysian embassy here and the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia would fairly settle the current case as early as possible from the goodwill stand of setting store by and developing the bilateral relations.

“In this period the diplomats and citizens of Malaysia may work and live normally under the same conditions and circumstances as before,” read the report.

Diplomatic ties between the nations have become strained following the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA 2) on Feb 13.- Mkini