KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia authorities has said the country will order all North Korean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, in an escalation of diplomat brawl over Malaysia's decision to extradite a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said: "Malaysia has today expelled all diplomats of the Embassy of North Korea in Kuala Lumpur in keeping with the decision for all diplomatic staff and their dependents to leave within 48 hours.

"This action is a reminder that Malaysia shall never tolerate any attempt to meddle in our internal affairs and judiciary, disrespect our governance system, and constantly create unnecessary tensions in defiance of the rules-based international order." Vehicles carrying the North Korean diplomatic staff and their families were seen leaving their embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning and headed to the airport, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The expulsion has been carried out in conformity with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. The government of Malaysia took this action in response to North Korea's unilateral and utterly irresponsible decision to sever diplomatic ties with Malaysia.

Before leaving the embassy, Charge d'Affairs Kim Yu Song told the media that by extraditing a North Korean citizen to the US, the Malaysian authority had destroyed the entire foundation of bilateral relations.

Last week, Malaysia's top court ruled that he can be extradited to Washington, rejecting his appeal challenging the extradition request from the United States.

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