And the fate of the 140 North Koreans who were rounded up by the authorities after their work visas had expired was also not under the jurisdiction of the state government, but under the purview of the police and Immigration Department, he said.

“I have to wait for the directive from KL because this is about international relations. And international relations is under the purview of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” The Borneo Post quoted him as saying.

Referring to the trade sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) on North Korea, he said this was under the purview of the federal government and that the state government did not have the authority to implement it.

Abang Johari said this after receiving a courtesy call by a Sarawak Timber Association delegation at his office here yesterday.

He said Sarawak only had autonomy on immigration from within the country.

“That’s why we cannot follow suit on what the UN has been doing by imposing sanctions on North Korea. But if (Perkasa president) Ibrahim Ali wants to come in, that’s our authority whether to allow him in or not,” he was quoted as saying by The Borneo Post.

He noted that Sarawak had been thrust into the international spotlight as it was the only state in the country employing North Koreans in various sectors such as mining and construction.

Following an escalation in the diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea over the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, Pyongyang barred 11 Malaysians from leaving the country.

In response, Putrajaya issued an order barring North Koreans from leaving the country.

Abang Johari said the 176 North Korean workers had been employed in Sarawak when relations between the two nations was good.