Siti Aishah thought she was paid RM400 to act as part of prank TV show - Indonesian officials

Embassy officials today visited the Indonesian woman suspected of being involved in the murder of Kim Jong Nam, quoting her as having said she thought she was being paid to carry out the act as part of a prank television show.

Below is in the interview transcript of the Deputy Indonesian Ambassador for Malaysia, Andriano Erwin today.

At first, I would like to thank the Malaysian government for giving us a chance to meet Mrs. Siti Aisyah. During the meeting, we mostly asked about her health condition. Alhamdullilah (Thank to God), she is in good health condition. Physically, we saw her healthy. But emotionally and mentally, we don’t know yet, because it needs more detailed examination.

Then, we will wait for the process to be conducted by the Malaysian police during the investigation. March 1 should be the last day when the police will decide to prosecute or release her if no evidence proves her (involvement). So, let’s wait for the legal proceedings and for the legal proceedings, we have prepared a team of lawyers from the … (Gwen al…?) law firm to advocate her and we’ll do everything in accordance to the Malaysian laws.

Q: Have you seen any signs that the poison has affected her?

Physically, she is healthy and she could answer all of our questions well. And we didn’t find any physical signs that she has been affected (by the poison).

Q: How long did the meeting with Siti Aisyah take place?

We were only allowed to meet with her for 30 minutes and we used all of the 30 minutes provided by the police (to talk with her).

Q: The Indonesian Embassy has already been accompanied by the team of lawyers during the meeting?

Yes.

Q: When will you meet her again?

Possibly after her arrest period ends as the Malaysian law stipulates.

Q: Could you confirm that the person you met is the same person with the so-called Siti Aishah?

Physically, we met her and brought a fingerprint device to detect her fingerprints. We’ve sent her data via satellite. Hopefully, we will know within one day whether she is the same person with the holder of the passport held by the police.

Q: Based on the evidence so far, have you seen whether it will lead to her involvement or not that may cause the extension of her arrest, or is it still “grey”?

I couldn’t make any comment about that because they didn’t show us the evidence. It’s still under police investigation and I don’t think that police will show it to us. They will only show it at court.

Q: What are the next steps to be taken by the team of lawyers?

We will surely discuss it with the lawyers because this was only the first time (to meet Aisyah). There are a lot of things to discuss with the team of lawyers. After this, we’ll just follow the ongoing legal proceedings.

Q: Will the Indonesian Embassy facilitate Siti Aisyah’s family to meet her because so far they haven’t got access to visit her, right?

So far, we haven’t thought about that, about whether they need to come or not. But during the meeting, our colleague Mr. Yusron asked her whether she wants to meet her family. She replied it would be better no, because she doesn’t want her family get sad to see her condition. She only delivered a message through us to her father and mother not to be worried and take care of their health.

Q: During your conversation with Siti Aisyah, did she ask a special request?

The special message was only sent to her family, to her father and mother – to stay healthy, don’t get sick – and to tell to her family that she is in healthy condition here.

Q: Did you get any statement from Siti Aisyah saying that she is innocent? “I’m not innocent, I’m not innocent.” Did she say like that?

Our questions didn’t lead to that.

Q: Have you meet the suspect inside? Could you give a comment in English?

Well, we met her. The police gave us 30 minutes to have a discussion with her, but so far we only discussed about her condition in general. We didn’t discuss anything that perhaps some of us use in the court.

Q: (The question was unclear, but apparently on whether she knew about the plan to assassinate)

She didn’t know about that.

Q: Actually, how did she say so?

She only said in general that she didn’t know that somebody asked her to do these activities and what will happen in the future.

Q: What did she say about who asked her to do?

She mentioned about the persons but I didn’t recognize them because she told us the names in very general way. Their names are James and Chang. That’s it. I think she didn’t know the real names of those two persons.

Q: Did she say that she appeared in the prank program?

That’s what she told us.

Q: So, did she say that she was involved in the reality show program?

Yes, that’s what she said.

Q: And did she say that those persons were North Korean, Japanese or what?

She didn’t say it specifically. She only said that she had been introduced to them by someone. And she said that in some ways, they looked like Japanese or Koreans, but she didn’t say it in details where they came from.

Q: So, she didn’t recognize those persons’s nationalities?

No. She only said “look like” Japanese or Koreans.

Q: Have you talked with IO (?) about the charge to be imposed on her?

So far no. Let our lawyers discuss that, because it’s still an initial process and we only met her once. I think we will know next week about the charge to be imposed by the police if evidence finds her involvement. If no evidence finds her involvement, she will be released.

Q: During the meeting, you were also accompanied by the Malaysian police?

Yes, surely.

Q: That was only a meeting between you and Siti Aishah?

Yes, only a meeting between Siti Aishah and us, accompanied by the police.

Q: Did she say how much she had been paid? (In Malay language)

(In English) According to her, those persons gave her around 400 ringgit to do these activities.

Q: And she received the money since the very beginning?

She didn’t tell anything about that.

Q: Did she know the Vietnamese suspect?

No, she didn’t know.

Q: In which language did Siti communicate with them?

Malay, I guess.

Q: What did Siti’s statement to you during the meeting? Why could she enter into the situation where she was involved in the prank show?

As I said before she said she didn’t know. She was only offered to join into a reality show. And she decided to join. That’s all.

Q: Where did the reality show take place?

In Malaysia.

Q: How many times had she join the reality show?

She told us that it was only once.

Q: Once?

So far, yes.

Q: Did she know that the liquid she put on her hands was poison?

She didn’t tell us about that. She only said that it’s a kind of oil, baby oil, something like that.