Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has ordered Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the country’s diplomatic ties with North Korea, Malaysian national news agency Bernama reported on Friday.

“We leave our diplomatic ties to the Foreign Ministry to carry out an assessment and present to the Cabinet to decide,” Bernama quoted Zahid as saying. “We hope it can be maintained… but at the same time, respect the laws of our country and respect the professionalism of our experts.”

Bilateral ties between Malaysia and North Korea have come under pressure in the last week, amid an escalating diplomatic row