Football Association of Malaysia president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is not in favour of the Malaysian football team having to face North Korea in Pyongyang for the 2019 Asian Cup qualifying match next month.

In a statement, Tunku Ismail, who is also the Johor Crown Prince, said the safety of national players and officials were his priority, and called for the match venue to be switched to a neutral ground.

He said the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) decision to fix Pyongyang as the match venue could have stemmed from the Malaysian government only issuing a travel advisory to North Korea, and not a travel ban, despite the ongoing "diplomatic row" between the two countries, triggered by the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at KLIA2 on Feb 13.

If Malaysia refuses to proceed with the match, it stands to lose out on several aspects, Tunku Ismail pointed out.

"If FAM does not allow them (officials and players) to travel to Pyongyang to play the match, North Korea will be awarded a 3-0 win. Added to that, we will also be fined up to US$50,000 and will be eliminated from the qualifying stages of the Asian Cup.

"But what is more worrying is that there is a good chance that Malaysia will be disqualified from all future AFC matches. The question now is, what do we do?" he asked in a statement posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page.

'Situation in North Korea very bad'

Tunku Ismail said he has also been reliably informed by several coaches, who had visited North Korea, that the situation there is very bad.

He then raised concerns about accommodation and food arrangements for players and officials.

"According to the information I have received, we need to bring our own food due to the possibility of sabotage. Another big concern is the issue of refereeing, because if there are decisions going against the North Koreans, there is the possibility that the safety of match officials will be affected and that will surely put them under pressure."

Reiterating his objection against the match being played out in Pyongyang, Tunku Ismail said the final decision however, rested in the hands of the Youth and Sports Ministry, as well as the government.

"We must always put the people's safety first, no matter the situation. This is what the Malaysian government and our football fans want, above all else."

AFC announced on Monday that the Group B match between Malaysia and North Korea, originally scheduled for March 28, would be played in Pyongyang on June 8, following the lifting of travel restrictions between the two countries, which were previously in force.

According to news reports, Malaysia has since appealed against the decision and AFC was considering the request to hold the match in a neutral venue.