MALAYSIA should continue engaging with North Korea while maintaining pressure on the hermit nation to abandon its nuclear programme, said a top White House security adviser.

“We’ve been pleased with the level of cooperation with Malaysia in enforcing the security council resolutions,” Matthew Pottinger, the senior Asian affairs director for the White House National Security Council, told reporters after briefing US officials in Kuala Lumpur today.

“They’ve proven that economic pressure is critical to the success of our diplomatic campaign to roll back these terrible weapons.”

Asked about Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call for the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang to be reopened, Pottinger said: “We think diplomatic pressure has been just as important as economic pressure in demonstrating to North Korea that this is the will of the entire international community being played out here.

“No nation has an interest in seeing North Korea produce these weapons and proliferate them. Every nation has a stake in seeing them dismantle these programmes.

“So, we encourage Malaysia to continue to pursue policies that help achieve those ends – the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.”

Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with North Korea soured following the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at klia2 on February 13 last year.

Two foreign women had smeared Jong-nam’s face with the lethal VX nerve agent.

Three diplomats and their family members, who had been held by Pyongyang in the ensuing stand-off, were released after Malaysian authorities agreed to return Jong-nam’s body, as well as three North Korean suspects.

In an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review last week, Dr Mahathir called for the reopening of Malaysia’s embassy in Pyongyang, saying “North Korea has a right to have its interests upheld”.

His comments came a day before the historic June 12 summit between US President Donald Trump and Jong-un in Singapore.

Dr Mahathir was criticised for his remarks, with former ambassador Dennis Ignatius saying reopening the embassy would send the “wrong signal” to the regime and “reward its outrageous behaviour” here, referring to Jong-nam’s assassination.

Pottinger said the US does not have a position on the Jong-nam murder trial, which is slated to continue next week.

“Of course, the world was stunned by the event that took place last year, that involved the use of a banned chemical weapon in a major international airport. That was a grave assault on human decency.

“That was an assault on international law, and underscores why these horrific weapons – chemical, biological weapons – really have no place in the hands of a regime that violates international law, that has shown a proclivity to not just use these kinds of weapons, but to proliferate them as well.”

He added that the White House is “exploring the possibilities” of Trump visiting Malaysia in November.

Asked about Dr Mahathir’s comments last month that he is not interested in meeting the US president, Pottinger said: “The president conveyed his congratulations today to Dr Mahathir and the Malaysian people.

“We look at all levels of government to engage and deepen the bilateral relationship.” – June 19, 2018.