Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will defend the county's image and sovereignty at all costs, even at the expense of severing ties with North Korea.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Najib said the accusations levelled at Malaysia by North Korean ambassador Kang Chol have seriously defamed our country.

Najib reportedly said this while discussing about current issues, including the death of Kim Jong-nam, during a meeting with BN parliamentarians at his official residence in Putrajaya last night.

According to a source, the prime minister also vowed that he would be firm in defending the country's sovereignty. 

Diplomatic ties between Malaysia and North Korea have been strained since the murder of Jong-nam at KLIA 2 on Feb 13. Two women, one Vietnamese and another Indonesian, have since been charged with the murder.

Pyongyang has maintained that no foul play was involved in the death of Jong-nam, who used the name Kim Chol in his passport, and has also accused Malaysia of colluding with South Korea in insisting to not surrender his body to them. 

Following this, Malaysia has called back its ambassador from Pyongyang for "consultations" and recently announced that effective today, North Koreans wanting to enter Malaysia must have a visa. 

Travel between the two countries have always been visa-free.

The culmination of events also saw Kang Chol being declared as persona non grata by the government, and ordered to leave Malaysia by today.