The Malaysian government wants security confirmation from its North Korean counterparts when the national team travels to Pyongyang for a rescheduled 2019 Asian Cup qualifier on June 8.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) gave the green light for Harimau Malaysia to travel to the Republic for the Group B match after Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed there was no diplomatic hurdle.
"There is no travel restriction imposed, but we hope North Korea can give us the security confirmation for our team travelling there," Malaysian Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Tuesday.
"There is no more strained diplomatic relationship between Malaysia and North Korea, but they are dealing with a lot of issues with other countries. We also have to adhere with the AFC's decision. Our biggest wish is for the national team to go and return safely."
Khairy made the comments on a day that he attended a Team Malaysia event in Kuala Lumpur for August's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be hosted by the Malaysian capital city.
Sekitar Majlis Kiraan Detik 100 hari menjelang #KL2017 sebentar tadi di KL Sentral. Adakah anda sudah bersedia? ������ #KamiTeamMalaysia pic.twitter.com/PNBrj9Jscz
- Team Malaysia (@TeamMsia) May 9, 2017
Some of the players involved in the North Korea game will also play for the Malaysia U22 side in the men's football competition of the SEA Games.
Malaysia's match against North Korea on March 28 was postponed by the AFC in the wake of the diplomatic fallout after the Feb. 13 death of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Several Chinese cities were listed as possible neutral venues for the match had North Korea been deemed a security risk.
After playing in Pyongyang, Malaysia return home to face Lebanon in their second Asian Cup qualifier at Larkin Stadium in the southern city of Johor Bahru on June 13.
With their next international matches only a month away, Malaysia have yet to appoint a new national head coach to replace Datuk Ong Kim Swee, who has been re-assigned to handle the SEA Games' team.