Opposition MPs want briefing on North Korean issue

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs want the Foreign and Home ministries as well as police to brief them on the ongoing North Korea issue.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (pic) said it is best that everyone is clear on what is happening to avoid saying the wrong things in public.

"As the Opposition, we want to know what exactly has happened.

"Diplomatic ties have soured and we don't want to say things with no knowledge," the PKR president said when met at the opposition office in Parliament Tuesday.

She added that she along with PKR's Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of Parti Amanah Negara had met the Speaker to request for the briefing.

"We requested to be briefed so that we will be in the know of what's happening and do not come up with statements detrimental to the country.

"The Speaker took it well. He was amicable to it.

"What we want is for the Foreign Ministry, the Home Minister or his deputy as well as the police to brief us," she said.

The Permatang Pauh MP also said that DAP's Batu Gajah MP V. Sivakumar would move a motion for the North Korean issue to be discussed in Parliament.

Bilateral ties between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang have soured since the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 departure hall on Feb 13.

North Korea's ambassador Kang Chol had criticised Malaysia's handling of the investigation, accusing it of being in cahoots with his country's enemies.

He left Malaysia on Monday after he was declared persona non grata on March 4 and given 48 hours to leave the country. He had failed to appear when summoned by Wisma Putra to apologise for his remarks.

In retaliation, Pyongyang expelled Malaysia's ambassador, who had already left North Korea, and in a further response, has banned Malaysians in North Korea from leaving the country.

In return, Malaysia has stopped all North Korean embassy staff from leaving Malaysia.