Police ready to face any possibility following Kim Yu Song's statement - IGP

SHAH ALAM: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) are always ready to face any possibility of threats made against the country, following a statement issued by the Charge d'Affaires of the North Korean Embassy, Kim Yu Song, yesterday.

“When people are angry, they spouted these words. If he is still here maybe we will take action but as he has already left, we just let him off,” said the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.

He said this when asked to comment on Kim’s statement that Malaysia had to bear the consequences of its action by prosecuting North Korean people.

“We receive all kinds of threats but on the security side we are vigilant for various possibilities and our history clearly demonstrates it,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor police contingent headquarters here today.

Yesterday, all North Korean diplomatic staff and their dependents in Malaysia left for home following Pyongyang’s decision on Friday to sever ties with Kuala Lumpur.

On Friday, Pyongyang announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Malaysia after a Malaysian court earlier this month ruled that a North Korean businessman could be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges.

On the same day, Wisma Putra, in a statement, said it deeply regretted North Korea’s decision and that, in turn, Malaysia will close its Pyongyang embassy, the operations of which were suspended in 2017.

Malaysia and North Korea established ties way back in 1973. The relations saw notable achievements on the diplomatic and trade fronts up to 2017, when Kim Jong-nam, the half- brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA