KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 ― Malaysia has decided to stop importing North Korean labour in light of the recent high tensions between both countries, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency has reported.
Citing sources, the report said that Putrajaya reached the decision following the controversy around the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the KLIA2 airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on February 13.
Malaysia’s decision to conduct an autopsy on the body caused North Korea to react by accusing Malaysia of colluding with its “enemies”, leading to a diplomatic fallout with both countries removing each other’s diplomatic representative.
It said that Malaysia’s move is an unilateral economic sanction inline with the request by the United States for countries to cut off sources of funds that could be used by North Korea for its nuclear development programme.
North Korean labourers were previously reported to have been sent to Sarawak, part of a large number of labourers who are sent to countries such as China, Russia and other Southeast Asian countries.
These labourers are allegedly have their salaries sent to the regime of the isolated state which in turn helps fund its missile and nuclear programme.
