Questions as 176 North Koreans go AWOL in Sarawak, abandon belongings

Malay Mail ^ | March 30, 2017

[TigerLikesRooster]

Questions as 176 North Koreans go AWOL in Sarawak, abandon belongings


Sarawak Immigration director Ken Leben is quoted as saying the North Koreans should technically still be in the state. ― Picture by Sulok Tawie

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Sarawak authorities are mystified by the lengthy absence without leave of 176 North Koreans hired to work at construction sites for the past half month.

The Borneo Post reported today that it had visited a construction site in Tabuan Dayak on March 17 where the North Korean workers were supposed to work, but found none of them were around.

The local newspaper said the North Koreans appeared to have left in a great hurry as all their personal belongings, work clothes, tools, helmets and boots were left behind.

Construction at the site had been halted for some time, but resumed yesterday, with only local workers. All the belongings left behind by the North Koreans were still left untouched at their quarters.

Sarawak Immigration director Ken Leben told the paper that the North Koreans should technically still be in the state as there were no records of them leaving but declined to elaborate due to the diplomatic row between the two countries.

Malaysia barred North Koreans from leaving the country from March 7, following a diplomatic standoff over the February 14 death of Kim Jong-nam that has also nine Malaysian embassy staff and their family from exiting Pyongyang.

A local Iban worker named Alec told The Borneo Post that the North Korean workers, mostly in their 40s and others between 20 and 30 years, left without notifying anyone of their whereabouts. He also said that they were diligent and hard workers who did not seem to have life outside of work.

“They were very co-operative and they displayed a high team spirit. Even doing something not so heavy, the others would help to carry it. They seemed to work at a slow pace but they worked very systematically.

“After we have clocked out, we could still see them working. And the next day when we start work, they would normally complete that particular part of the project which they were working on the day before. They were like ants – working quietly and diligently to finish the workload passed to them,” Alec was quoted saying.

According to Alec, the North Korean workers hired a cook and ate similar food to Malaysians, only their meals were portioned out systematically in an almost military-like style.

Another construction worker who was identified only as Bob said the North Koreans mostly kept to themselves and did not engage with other workers, unless it was totally necessary.

“We used sign language to communicate. They are very secretive and reclusive and did not mix around with us or try to find out about our lives here.

“There was a leader among them and I think he was the contractor. He spoke English. And he seemed to treat the North Korean workers quite well,” said Bob.

North Korean workers have been known to be working in Sarawak in coal mines under a special arrangement between the country and the state government.

It was previously reported that that 176 North Koreans were employed in the construction and mining sectors in Sarawak, but only 36 possessed valid work permits.

The matter had escaped public attention until the diplomatic spat between Malaysia and North Korea last month.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Mystery of missing workers deepens

March 30, 2017, Thursday Lian Cheng & Peter Sibon, reporters@theborneopost.com

Intrigue builds up on North Korean workers’ whereabouts as there are no records of them leaving the state

The personal belongings of the North Korean workers at a construction site in Tabuan Dayak are still neatly hung against the side wall of their makeshift living quarters.

KUCHING: The 176 North Korean workers who were known to have entered the state to work at construction sites have all left their workplace and seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

The mystery of their whereabouts deepened yesterday when State Immigration director Ken Leben told The Borneo Post that technically they should all be still in the state as there are no record of them leaving.

The disclosure of the North Korean workers in the state has attracted great international interest but further attempts to find out more about their situation hit a brick wall when Ken said he could not disclose any further details on the issue.

He said he had received a directive from Putrajaya not to comment on the workers’ situation because of the fragile diplomatic relationship between Malaysia and North Korea.

On March 17, The Borneo Post team visited the construction site where a team of North Korean workers were working and found that they had all left seemingly in a great hurry as all their personal belongings, work clothes, tools, helmets and boots were left behind in the two makeshift rooms in an uncompleted building they used as their quarters but their stores were locked.

[Seruzawa]

Probably on a boat headed somewhere.... anywhere except North Korea.

[Sasparilla]

They’re probably crossing the Mexican border at this moment. !;

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

1.)They were harvested for food.

2.) They ran away before they could be harvested for food.

[TigerLikesRooster]

All joke aside, they are probably on some freighter heading to a Chinese port.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I hope so.

[VTenigma]

The biggest surprise to me is North Koreans have personal belongings, Who knew?

[publius911]

Sarawak authorities are mystified by the lengthy absence without leave of 176 North Koreans hired to work at construction sites for the past half month.

OK.
I get it.
Who needs editors, any more?

Were the missing dudes hired to work for the past half month?

Or Have they been AWOL for the last half month?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Don't be too hard on them. This article is still better than some MSM articles full of mangled sentences typically seen on social media.:-)

[mass55th]

Check the local restaurants. They might be on the menu.

[Psalm 144]

Insertion.

[lee martell]

The best of luck to these brave people.
Most Americans cannot even imagine the conditions over there.
Those Police women look nice in their clean tailored uniforms, but I’ll bet they would show no mercy on any Stray Lambs if caught.

[arrogantsob]

They were probably work issued clothing and equipment.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Everyone has his personal picture of Dear Leader.

I wish I was joking.

[JimSEA]

Not a hard decision. Live in a relatively benign country where food is readily available for workers or return to a hell on earth that is North Korea. Freedom is addictive.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Check the huts of the local headhunter tribes. They may have some new trophies.

[GnuThere]

Exactly! I thought it was a fake news decoy.

[Ciaphas Cain]

Years ago I was taking a girl out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. It was Saturday night and the place was packed. Suddenly the most CALAMATOUS crashing sound came from the direction of the kitchen, it made EVERYONE drop their chopsticks and turn to look.

And for whatever reason, in the fleeting moments of silence which ensued I blurted out "They can't find their cat."

[coloradan]

“They can’t find their cat. ... Enjoy your food!”