Foreign spies don't register, gov't tells MP

The government does not have official data on the number of foreign spies operating in Malaysia because foreign countries do not disclose this to Putrajaya, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said this in reply to a written parliamentary question submitted by Sim Tze Tzin (PKR-Bayan Baru), who asked how many foreign spies were operating in Malaysia.

"The Home Ministry and police do not have information on the number of foreign spies in the country as foreign countries do not declare their spies to local authorities.

"However, the government through the police Special Branch will strengthen its efforts to gather information on espionage in Malaysia to ensure incidents such as the murder of Kim Jong-nam do not recur," Zahid said in his written reply released today.

Sim (photo) had asked his question in connection with the murder of Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un.

Malaysian authorities have said the autopsy report revealed that Jong-nam died from organophosphate poisoning, with the substance having qualities consistent with the nerve agent XV.

"What we are facing now is the result of their action in assassinating their own citizen in Malaysia, on Malaysian soil, using a strictly banned chemical weapon," Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had said earlier.

Two women, a Vietnamese and an Indonesian, have been charged with Jong-nam's murder at the magistrate's court in Sepang, while two others have been released.

Those released were the Indonesian woman, Siti Aisyah's Malaysian boyfriend, and a North Korean man who was deported as there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

Two suspects holed up at embassy

Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said another two North Korean suspects, a diplomat and an Air Koryo staff, are holed up at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

A stand-off is in place as North Korea banned 11 Malaysians from leaving the country and Malaysia imposed the same ban on at least 170 North Koreans in Malaysia.

Malaysia has expelled North Korean envoy Kang Chol and recalled its ambassador to the republic, Mohammad Nizan Mohammad.

Negotiations are ongoing between Wisma Putra and a high level delegation from Pyongyang in Kuala Lumpur, to secure the release of Malaysians in North Korea, who Najib said are effectively being held "hostage".

Malaysians and North Koreans who are not allowed to leave the respective countries are free to move about in those countries.

Najib said the 11 Malaysians, including three embassy staff, two United Nations officials and their families, are safe.

Experts say Pyongyang's move to bar Malaysians from leaving is part of a move to pressure Putrajaya to release Jong-nam's body and to deport the two North Korean suspects.

Malaysia will not release the body until a DNA sample can prove the body is that of Jong-nam. -Mkini