Pyongyang assures Malaysians’ safety as talks continue

This comes as Putrajaya is seen softening its tough stance on the communist country.

KUALA LUMPUR: North Korea has guaranteed the safety of the remaining nine Malaysian citizens in the country, Prime Minister Najib Razak said today, as both countries continued talks on resolving their diplomatic stalemate.

“The North Korean government has assured their safety,” he said in a Twitter message.

“They are free to do their daily activities, but they cannot leave the country,” he said, after a telephone conversation with the Malaysian counsellor in Pyongyang, Mohd Nor Azrin.

This comes after the United Nations announced that two Malaysians it employed under its World Food Programme (WFP) were allowed to leave for Beijing.

Stella Lim and Nyanaprakash Muniandy, were among the 11-odd Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea, sparking a tit-for-tat action by Malaysia who said it would also stop staff at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur from leaving.

Ties between the two countries have deteriorated over a Malaysian police investigation into the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pyongyang has rejected allegations that it had a hand in the attack on Jong Nam at klia2 on Feb 13.

But Malaysia has been seen softening its approach in dealing with Pyongyang in the last 24 hours, with Najib saying ties were still in place despite both ambassadors being sent home. -FMT