Malaysia won't share info on Jong-nam murder for now

Malaysia will not share with international bodies information on the investigation into the murder of North Korean Kim Jong-nam until the entire legal process has been completed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the sharing of information via mutual legal assistance, encompassing the four aspects of DNA, forensics, chemistry report and CCTV recording, would only be feasible if there was a request and the entire legal process had been
completed.

He said Malaysia could share information with international intelligence agencies and the information could be used by the United Nations after the Malaysian police and the judiciary had finalised the legal processes, respectively.

"Malaysia is open to sharing (information) with them but they have to respect the country's legal and judicial systems," he said.

Ahmad Zahid was asked to comment on the reported suggestion by Britain for Malaysia to share with the UN information on the lethal VX nerve agent used to kill Jong-nam for the world body to take action against North Korea.

British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft told journalists at the UN that information on the Feb 13 attack at KL International Airport 2 that killed Jong-nam should be sent to the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Speaking at a press conference after opening the Conference on Education and Social Affairs of the Islamic Consultative Council here, Ahmad Zahid said the investigation must be conclusive, not involving just the police but also the Health Ministry, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and the operator of the CCTV cameras which recorded the incident.

He also said that a preliminary investigation by the police found that the suspects in the murder case had begun their operation two months before the killing.

The police acted in accordance with the standard operating procedure and the investigation was found to be justified when the incident took place and was recorded by the CCTV cameras, resulting in two suspects being arrested within 48 hours after the murder, he said.

Asked whether the case had tarnished Malaysia's image, Ahmad Zahid said he was not worried about that because Malaysia neither had any hidden agenda nor had colluded with any other country or sheltered criminals.

He confirmed that the DNA report had been completed but, based on the country's laws, it had to be matched with the DNA of the victim's next-of-kin.

"We have taken several measures to contact the next-of-kin (of Jong-nam)," he said.

Jong-nam was at the KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2) at 8am on Feb 13 to board a flight to Macau an hour later when two women suddenly appeared before him and wiped his face with the palms of their hands which contained what was later identified as the VX nerve agent.

Jong-nam sought help at a customer service counter at the airport and was rushed to the Putrajaya Hospital but died on the way.

He had come to Malaysia on Feb 6 and carried a passport bearing the name Kim Chol.

- Bernama