Jong-Nam: Full Ppost-Mortem Report Pending Analysis by Chemistry Dept - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The full report on the post-mortem conducted on the remains of Kim Jong-nam will be available after completion of the Chemistry Department's forensic analysis, said Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. He said the result would help determine the cause of death as well as the definitive identity of the deceased. Jong-nam was the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Speaking at a packed press conference here Tuesday, Dr Noor Hisham said no specific deadline was given for the analysis to be completed. He said specimens from the deceased, who died under mysterious circumstances, had been collected for analysis but none from the next-of-kin. "At the moment, we do not have anyone claiming to be the next-of-kin; we are still waiting for them," he said. It was reported that Jong-nam was at the KL International Airport 2 (klia2) Feb 13 to board a flight to Macau when a woman suddenly covered his face with a cloth laced with what is believed to be poison. He was rushed to Putrajaya Hospital but died on the way. He had come to Malaysia on Feb 6 and carried a passport with the name of Kim Chol. Asked whether Jong-nam had shown symptoms of a heart attack prior to his death, Dr Noor Hisham said there was no such evidence. He also said that the post-mortem indicated no obvious puncture marks on the body. Dr Noor Hisham also quashed rumours that a second post-mortem had been performed on the body, as reported by foreign media. Dr Noor Hisham said the body had undergone a full post-mortem using computed tomography, external and internal examination as well as forensic dental examination. "Everything was conducted professionally at the same premises and in compliance with international standards," he said, adding that the body had been handled in a respectful manner with medicolegal specimens having been taken in accordance with the provisions of the law to maintain the chain of custody. On the course of action to be taken if the next-of-kin do not turn up to identify and claim the body, Dr Noor Hisham said the forensic team would then look into the deceased's medical records. "(For example) dental records, if we have that we can match and we can also perform external examinations to find out whether he had had previous (surgery) operations, scars or mole," he said, adding that access to those records were not yet available at the moment. Asked whether there were indications of poison in the body, Dr Noor Hisham said this depended on the result of the Chemistry Department's analysis. -- BERNAMA