'No' to joint North Korean probe
Published on: Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) has shot down North Korea's demand for a joint investigation to be conducted into the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He also brushed aside North Korea's assertion that it had lost trust in Malaysia's investigation into the murder. "Our police and doctors are very professional. I have absolute confidence that they are very objective in whatever they do. ADVERTISEMENT "We have no reason why we would want to do something that paints the North Koreans in bad light. "But we will be objective and we expect them to understand that we apply the rule of law in Malaysia," he told reporters after officiating the International Conference on Religion and Civilisation Sustainability, Monday.This is the first time Najib has commented on the murder of Jong-nam, who was believed to have been poisoned by two women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport last week. North Korean ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol, at a press conference, said a joint investigation on the case should be conducted, as it can no longer trust the police.Kang Chol, said the proposal was being made after "so many questions and contradictions" had arisen from the ongoing investigation.ADVERTISEMENT "If Malaysia agrees with our suggestion, we will despatch a delegation of lawyers to join the investigation with the Malaysian police," he said.According to him, North Korea, as the country of origin of the deceased, had the right to request investigation results, especially relating to allegations on how Jong-nam was murdered.
ADVERTISEMENT
"There are allegations that the arrested female suspects murdered him using poison needles or by daubing his face with chemicals. We demand a meeting with the suspects to get to the truth," Kang Chol said.On Feb 13, Jong-nam, who was estranged from his half brother, was at the KL International Airport 2 at 8am to board a flight to Macau when a woman suddenly covered his face with a cloth laced with what is believed to be poison.Jong-nam, who was using a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, sought help at a customer service counter at KLIA2 and was rushed to the Putrajaya Hospital but died on the way. Kang Chol claimed that Malaysian Police had yet to ascertain the cause of death, and added that North Korea was still waiting for the evidence of the suspects.Kang Chol, who referred to the deceased as Kim Chol throughout the press conference, said: "They (the Malaysian Police) rather focus on identifying (the dead man) by the… name alleged by forces hostile to North Korea...and are requesting the presence of his next of kin for identification and DNA tests to delay the release of his body."This apparently shows the investigation is not for the clarification of the cause of death and search of suspects, but it is out of political aim," he said.Kang Chol said the deceased was a diplomatic passport holder which meant that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations should be abided by.He questioned the statement of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Feb 17 identifying the dead North Korean as Kim Jong-nam."We submitted an official document that we did not know any other name except 'Kim Chol' as written in the passport to the Malaysian Police on the morning of Feb 18."How could the Deputy Prime Minister make such remarks one day before our submission (of the document)? This clearly suggests that Malaysia has close ties with the South Korean plotter in this incident," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
Kang Chol claimed that Malaysian plainclothes police raided the condominium of a North Korean here and "forcibly" arrested him without any warrant and evidence."They made it public that they arrested the mastermind before any form of inquiry began and they also aired on TV the scene that the suspect was arrested in fetters. This is a grave human rights abuse," Kang Chol said.