North Korean envoy: Police have not submitted documents seeking interviews

KUALA LUMPUR: The North Korean Embassy claims that it has not been contacted by Malaysian police to seek its cooperation in interviewing two of its citizens over the assassination of Kim Jong-nam.

"The Inspector General of Malaysia told the media that the police have submitted documents to get the cooperation of the embassy to interview our second secretary (and another North Korean citizen).

"However as of today, we have not received any relevant documents from the police or the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia," said Kim Yu Song, an embassy consular.

In an impromptu media conference at the embassy in Bukit Damansara on Friday, Yu Song said that was regretful that certain South Korean media reports had claimed that the embassy had received the documents.

"This is a lie, we strongly protest against this and we ask for amendment," he said.

Meanwhile, non-governmental organisation Malaysian Muslim People's Coalition (IRIMM) together with Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM), Gerakan Reformis Rakyat Malaysia, Gabungan Ayahanda Selangor, Amanah Rasa Cekal and Kipidap, delivered a memorandum of protest to the embassy condemning the accusations against the Malaysian police.

"We don't want Malaysia to be involved in this case. The victim died at the airport and it has become a police case so let the police do their work. Don't bring in the Government," said IRIMM general secretary Zainol Abidin Ahmad.

Zainol said while the NGO had not made an appointment to meet the North Korean ambassador Kang Chol, it is determined to deliver the memorandum.

"We'll climb the gate if we have to, " he said.

MJMM president, Abdul Rani Kulup Abdullah also expressed his dissatisfaction with the North Korean ambassador.

"We want to show our dissatisfaction with the embassy who has accused us of collaborating with South Korea in the Kim Jong-nam case," he said.

He said the embassy should allow Malaysian police to carry out their investigations.

The memorandum was later put in the embassy's mail box.

Jong-nam, 45, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was assassinated on Feb 13 at the KL International Airport 2 by two women who poisoned him.

Four people have so far been arrested in relation to the case.

They are Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28; Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25; North Korean Ri Jong-chol, 47, and Siti Aisyah's boyfriend, Malaysian Muhammad Farid Jalaluddin.

The remand for Doan and Siti Aisyah was extended for a further seven days while the boyfriend is to be released on police bail.

Four North Koreans who were involved in the murder have returned to Pyongyang. Malaysian police have requested the North Korean government to hand them over.