Director General of Health Malaysia, Noor Hisham Abdullah, speaks during a news conference at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, yesterday.
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian health authorities have yet to determine the cause of death of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to officials.
Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, health department Director-General, said yesterday that a post-mortem conducted on the body of Kim Jong-nam did not provide any concrete clue on the cause of death.
He added that the identification process was also ongoing.
"Until now, Jong-nam's next-of-kin have not come forward to perform deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test, for us to verify that the dead body is indeed Jong-nam," he said.
Abdullah also assured that the examination was being conducted by qualified and experienced consultant forensic pathologists, a forensic radiologist and a forensic odontologist.
The comments come after Malaysia's Foreign Ministry summoned the North Korean ambassador, Kang Chol, over his accusation that the government had something to conceal with regard to Kim’s death at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last week.
Kang had also demanded the release of the body without delay and alleged that Malaysia was trying to conceal something and collude with South Korea -- regarded as an enemy force by Pyongyang.
Abdullah underlined yesterday that immediately after the post-mortem examination, “medicolegal specimens were handed over to the Investigating Police Officer… to be sent to accredited laboratories for analysis”.
"These analyses are meant to confirm the identity of the deceased person and also the cause of death; both of which are still pending at the moment".
“There has been no second autopsy performed on this deceased person."
North Korea envoy was diplomatically rude: PM Najib
Kuala Lumpur (Reuters): Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said yesterday that comments by the North Korean ambassador casting doubt over a Malaysian investigation into the killing of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader were "diplomatically rude".
"The statement by the ambassador was totally uncalled for. It was diplomatically rude. But Malaysia will stand firm," Najib said.
North Korean ambassador Kang Chol said his country "cannot trust" Malaysia's handling of the probe into the killing.
South Korea and US believe he was assassinated by North Korean agents.
