Zahid Hamidi said there were 315 North Koreans in Sarawak and 50 of them would be charged for overstaying.

He told reporters at the Dewan Rakyat lobby that they were currently at a temporary detention depot in Sarawak.

He said those with valid work permits would be allowed to stay. The North Koreans in Sarawak are mainly specialised workers operating in a coal mine and a hydro project.

He was asked to elaborate on his statement yesterday that the government would decide today (March 14) whether to continue to detain or deport the group of North Koreans whose work permits had expired.

Zahid was also asked on the status of North Koreans in Malaysia under the Malaysia My Second Home programme. He said there were 191 North Koreans in Malaysia under the programme and that they could continue to stay here.

The issue of North Korean workers came to light following strained ties between Malaysia and North Korea over the murder last month of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of that nation’s leader Kim Jong Un.