Jong-Nam: Malaysian Police Rejects Joint Investigation - IGP Khalid

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Police have rejected proposals by the North Korean authority for a joint investigation into the murder of North Korean Kim Jong-nam on Feb 13, said Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar. "No... it is our jurisdiction, not them," he told a media conference in Bukit Aman, here Wednesday. He was responding to a question on whether Malaysia would agree to the demand and request from North Korean ambassador Kang Chol for a joint investigation over the murder probe. Kang Chol demanded Monday that North Korea be allowed to join the probe into the death of its citizen after accusing Malaysia of "colluding and playing into the gallery of external forces". The Malaysian government had denied the baseless allegation. In a statement released late on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak slammed the North Korean allegations and defended the Malaysian authorities' professionalism and objectivity in handling the probe. Najib said Malaysia's police and doctors were professional and objective in the investigation. Kim Jong-nam, the elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died on Feb 13 while on the way to the Putrajaya Hospital. Earlier that day, Jong-nam was at the KL International Airport 2 (klia2) at about 8am, waiting for his flight to Macau, when a woman suddenly wiped his face with what is believed to be poison. Jong-nam had come to Malaysia on Feb 6 and carried a passport with the name of Kim Chol. -- BERNAMA