Malaysia's health minister says his government will not follow requests raised by North Korean envoy

Record ID: 343274

  • Title: Malaysia's health minister says his government will not follow requests raised by North Korean envoy
  • Date: 1st March 2017
  • Summary: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA (MARCH 1, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MALAYSIA HEALTH MINISTER, SUBRAMANIAM SATHAVISAM, ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE HEALTH MINISTER SUBRAMANIAM SATHAVISAM VARIOUS OF CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAYSIA HEALTH MINISTER, SUBRAMANIAM SATHAVISAM, SAYING: "Not me, they (the North Korean envoy) met other members of
  • Embargoed: 15th March 2017 08:13
  • Keywords: Malaysia health minister North Korea news conference request
  • Location: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
  • City: PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA001664O8CN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Malaysia's health minister said on Wednesday (March 1) that Malaysian authority will not give into the requests by the North Korean special envoy over the Kim murder case.
    Amid a bitter diplomatic row, members of Malaysia's cabinet met with a high level North Korean delegation that arrived on Tuesday (February 28) to press for the release of the citizen in custody, and for the body to be handed over.
    "Not me, they (the North Korean envoy) met other members of my cabinet, they had discussions with them. But withstanding whatever they might have said or requested, our answer is, as far as Malaysia is concerned, we will follow the protocols which we have, for example the cause of death. We have already identified, established and announced that it's due to the nerve poison. So that is the poison, cause of death. We will not change it," said Subramaniam Sathavisam, the Malaysian health minister.
    Kim Jong Nam, who had criticised the regime of his family and his half-brother Kim Jong Un, died after the two women allegedly smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, across his face.
    A decision would eventually be made on what to do with the body as no next of kin had come forward for formal identification, he said.
    "After a certain period of time we will have to make a decision what to do. I mean in this case we have to do it as a government, taking into consideration the international system and the relationships with people. As a government we have to make a decision what to do," Subramaniam said. "I mean we have not, we have not put a time frame, yet. At the present moment we are giving ample opportunity to actually get a final solution through the normal processes, ok."
    Malaysia on Wednesday charged two women - an Indonesian and a Vietnamese - with murdering the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader in an assassination using a super-toxic nerve agent that killed in minutes.
    Siti Aishah, a 25-year-old mother of one from Jakarta, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from rural northern Vietnam, could be hanged if they are convicted for the killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13.
    Police brought the two women to court handcuffed. As they left, they were made to wear bullet-proof vests, reflecting Malaysian authorities' fears that others involved in the killing could want the women silenced.
    U.S. and South Korean officials believe Kim was the victim of an assassination orchestrated by North Korea. He had been living in exile, under Beijing's protection, in the Chinese territory of Macau, and had criticised the regime of his family and his half-brother Kim Jong Un.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register