Malaysia has halted all imports from North Korea

Malaysian police officers are seen in front of the North Korea embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia's ties with North Korea have deteriorated since the February assassination of Kim Jong Un's estranged half brother at Kuala Lumpur international airport. PHOTO: REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, which until recently had been one of Pyongyang's closest friends, has halted all imports from North Korea, as part of global efforts to cut off funding over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Malaysia did not buy any goods from North Korea in June and July, after buying RM20.6mil worth of goods in the first five months of the year, according to data from the Department of Statistics.