KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should sever diplomatic ties with North Korea following the communist state’s decision to bar all Malaysians from leaving, said Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim also expressed support for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s announcement in barring all North Korean embassy officers and staff from leaving Malaysia.
“If they (North Korea) refuses to release our citizens, we must do the same. It’s not that we want to keep the North Koreans here; we just want our citizens to come home,” he said.
Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said the priority now was to secure the release of the 11 Malaysians.
“This is a country (North Korea) not worth having diplomatic relations with. I don’t know why we have visa-free entry for them. We don’t do much trade with them,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here today.
Lim also urged Malaysia to work with countries still friendly with North Korea to facilitate the safe return of all Malaysians to their home country.
He said the government should look into whether North Korea’s act was in violation of the Geneva Convention and United Nations resolutions.