For starters, Malaysia has closer diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea than most allies of the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Such relations have given the citizens of isolated North Korea the chance to mix with the outside world, with direct air connections, lax travel restrictions and business ties as well.
Direct flights between the two countries were started in 2011 by North Korea’s Air Koryo, but it was forced to stop in mid-2014 due to sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
Malaysians do not need a visa to travel to North Korea though there are restrictions the other way around. Interestingly, trade between the two countries has been strong, with Pyongyang purchasing Malaysian rubber, palm oil and other commodities, while Malaysia imports iron and steel products.
Malaysia’s ties with North Korea go way back to 1973. It is also believed to be through the direct assistance from the government of the late Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s first supreme leader, that Malaysia was able to start diplomatic talks with China in 1974.
Meanwhile, the establishment of North Korean and Malaysian embassies in each other’s countries only happened about 30 years later.
Prior to the current world spotlight on North Koreans in Malaysia, there were two items which made international news last year.
Last October, a small group of former US diplomats and officials from Pyongyang held closed-door talks in Kuala Lumpur over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. It was the latest in a periodic series of back-channel discussions that have also taken place in Singapore, Beijing and Berlin, among other locations.
Prior to that, WSJ reported last July that there were about 300 North Koreans working in Malaysia. It is believed they are employed in Sarawak for specialised work in the coal mining industry.
An expert in North Korean studies at a university in the Netherlands told WSJ that there are plenty of business ties between the two countries.
“There certainly is more freedom for North Koreans to come and go. This has been the case for several years. It has been a popular place for North Korea to do business,” Leiden University researcher Christopher Green told WSJ.
The North Korean government had also opened the Pyongyang Koryo Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, staffed by waitresses brought in from North Korea.
However, it is not known what will be the impact of the killing of Jong Un’s half-brother here in Malaysia on the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“It is difficult to tell at this stage if there will be a diplomatic fallout from this incident,” Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) CEO Wan Saiful Wan Jan was quoted as saying by WSJ.
“However, I think it is unlikely that the Malaysian or Chinese governments will allow this to escalate to a diplomatic row,” he added.
On Monday, Kim Jong Nam died shortly after two women allegedly ambushed him and sprayed a mysterious liquid on his face. The incident took place at the klia2 airport, where the exiled eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was due to take a flight to Macau.
The two women, believed to be spies working for the North Korean government, were able to make their exit by leaving the airport in a taxi.
Police said they had arrested one of the women, who came back to the airport yesterday. According to the police, the suspect had a Vietnamese passport.
Bernama reported late last night that Hospital Kuala Lumpur has completed its post-mortem on Jong Nam but the outcome remains unknown.
As yet, Putrajaya has remained silent on the killing, referring all questions to the police.