DNA sample of Jong Nam's son taken at a secret location - Zahid

The confirmation of Kim Jong-nam's identity was made through the DNA sample of his son taken at a secret location, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said the sample was obtained according to forensic procedures carried out by the government abroad, but declined to disclose the location of the country concerned.

"I again wish to confirm that the body was that of Jong-nam's...it is definitely Jong-nam's," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

Jong-nam, the elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is alleged to have been killed by two foreign women who swiped his face with the VX nerve agent while he was at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) on Feb 13 to take a flight to Macau.

Jong-nam, who had a passport which showed the name Kim Chol, died on the way to Putrajaya Hospital.

Two foreign women - Siti Aisyah, 25, from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong, 29, a Vietnamese national, were charged with the murder of Jong-nam, at the Sepang Magistrate's Court on March 1.

When asked on the funeral arrangement for Jong-nam, Ahmad Zahid said the government would seek the advice of Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali for further action.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim was reported as saying today that the family of Jong-nam had given permission to the Malaysian government to arrange the funeral of the North Korean national.

Commenting on the matter, Ahmad Zahid said he would check the approval document made by the family of the deceased through the Foreign Ministry.

"Of course the Royal Malaysia Police will decide based on the request because the North Korean embassy cannot request that the body be brought home except with the permission of the victim's next-of-kin," he said.

-- BERNAMA