DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has pledged his party’s support to the government in resolving the North Korea crisis.

Kit Siang said this after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday urged all quarters, including the opposition, to be united in facing the crisis.

“DAP stands fully united in support of the government to resolve the crisis with North Korea and the safe return of the nine Malaysians who are barred from leaving North Korea amidst the diplomatic row between the two nations.

“The lesson we must learn from the diplomatic crisis with North Korea is that Malaysians must stand united in support of the government’s dealings with foreign countries, as we must not give foreign countries any opportunity to exploit any internal differences for their benefit,” he said in a statement today.

On Thursday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also urged unity, stating that a review of the government’s handling of the issue can be done after the safe return of Malaysians from North Korea.

Kit Siang in his statement today said the developments in South Korea, too, presented important lessons for Malaysia.

He was referring to the impeachment of South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

“In fact, many Malaysians are asking whether the impeachment of the South Korean president by parliament and unanimous judgment of the Constitutional Court because of corruption and gross abuses of power could happen in Malaysia.

“This is only possible if in Malaysia, there is true rule of law, sanctity of the constitution, separation of powers and independence of the important national institutions like the judiciary,” he said.

Lim pointed out that South Korea was economically and politically backward when Malaya first achieved independence in 1957 but had leapt ahead not only economically but transforming from a dictatorship into a democracy.

North Korea had accused Malaysia of colluding with South Korea and other hostile forces to blame the country for the murder of Kim Jong-nam.

Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed using the chemical weapon VX nerve agent at KL International Airport 2 on Feb 13.

Wisma Putra had expelled the North Korean ambassador Kang Chol after he refused to apologise for the accusations levelled against Malaysia.

Pyongyang responded by barring Malaysians from leaving North Korea.

On Thursday, two Malaysians were allowed to leave the country as they held United Nations travel documents.

However, three Malaysian diplomatic staff and six of their family members remain stranded in Pyongyang.