Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said that his country will not allow North Korean citizens to leave the country with immediate effect.
In growing diplomatic tensions over the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, North Korea earlier said that it had temporarily banned Malaysians from leaving the country.
According to local news media reports, the ban would stay in place until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved.
The North Korea's Foreign Ministry has notified the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang of the reason for the measure and said it had hoped the case would be swiftly and fairly resolved in order to develop bilateral ties with Malaysia.
Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was poisoned on February 13 with deadly nerve agent VX. North Korea has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies.
Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the assassination, and Kuala Lumpur has sought several North Koreans for questioning, although the only one it arrested was released for lack of evidence.
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