MALAYSIA’S prime minister yesterday ruled out severing ties with North Korea and said his government would seek to negotiate a way out of a rapidly escalating diplomatic row over the assassination of Kim Jong Nam.
North Korea and Malaysia on Tuesday banned each other’s citizens from leaving their countries, with Kuala Lumpur saying its nationals were effectively being held “hostage.”
The Malaysian foreign ministry said 11 of its citizens were currently in North Korea — three embassy staff, six family members and two who work for the UN’s World Food Program.
Responding to questions from reporters outside parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Razak ruled out severing ties with North Korea.
“At the moment (diplomatic ties are) still on because it provides us with a channel,” he said.
“We have to maintain ties because we have means to negotiate,” he added. “We now need to examine what are the needs of the North Korean government.”
In the meantime the Malaysian government would stand by its decision not to allow North Koreans to leave the country, he said.
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