Malaysia PM softens line to get citizens out of NK

Najib says no plan to cut diplomatic ties

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak struck a softer tone with North Korea on Wednesday, a day after accusing it of assassinating the estranged half- brother of Kim Jong- un and treating Malaysians as “hostages.”

Malaysian police have identified eight North Koreans wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of Kim Jong- nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13, three of them hiding in 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 denounced that move as an “abhorrent act” and ordered a reciprocal ban. He also for the first time directly accused North Korea of mur- dering Kim Jong- nam, who Malaysian police say died from VX nerve agent smeared on his face by two women.

“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,” Najib told state media agency Bernama on Tuesday.

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 the three embassy staff, six family members, and two other Malaysians in North Korea were safe.

Najib declined to elaborate on the next steps: “If there’s any negotiations, we can’t do it through the media.”

North Korea is in danger of losing one of the few friends it has outside of China.

On Monday, Malaysia expelled North Korea’s ambassador for questioning the impartiality of the murder investigation and ended visa free travel for North Koreans. Last week, Malaysia said it would investigate North Korea front companies after a Reuters report showed that Pyongyang’s spy agency was running an arms network in the country.