Malaysians in Pyongyang allowed to leave, suspects fly home (Update)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said today that the nine Malaysians who have been barred from leaving Pyongyang were allowed to leave today.
He said that they took off at 7.45pm Malaysian time from the North Korean capital and are expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 5am tomorrow.
"I am pleased to announce that the nine Malaysians who had been barred from leaving North Korea have now been allowed to return to Malaysia. Alhamdulillah, they took off from Pyongyang today at 7.45pm Malaysian time," he said in a statement tonight.
The Prime Minister said they are expected to arrive at KLIA by 5am on Friday.
He also added that the government had received a letter from the family of murdered Kim Jong-Nam requesting for his body to be sent to North Korea.
"Following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body," he said.
Najib said North Koreans living in Malaysia are allowed to leave the country.
However, he reiterated that the investigation into the murder of Jong-Nam will continue.
"The government believes strongly in the principles of justice and sovereignty. Our police investigation into this serious crime on Malaysian soil will continue. I have instructed for all possible measures to be taken to bring those responsible for this murder to justice," he said.
"I had a deep personal concern about this matter, and we worked intensively behind the scenes to achieve this successful outcome. Many challenges were overcome to ensure the return of our fellow Malaysians. The safety and security of our citizens will always be my first priority," he added.
In striking a deal with the North Korean government, it is learnt by theSun that two North Korean men sought by the police were also on the flight.
North Korean Embassy Second Secretary Hyon Kwang-son and Ri Ji-u, 30, also known as James, were holed up in the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur over the past few weeks after the police had declared that they were key suspects in the assassination.