Malaysia: Woman arrested over apparent Jong-nam murder

By P Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysian police have arrested a woman holding a Vietnamese passport, believed to be a key suspect in the apparent assassination of the North Korean leader's brother Kim Jong-nam last Monday.

Deputy inspector general of police, Noor Rashid Ibrahim told Anadolu Agency that the woman is believed to be in her mid-twenties and was identified via the airport's closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

The suspect was arrested in front of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

"We recognized her from the CCTV footage and arrested her. We are in midst of questioning and verifying her identity," he said.

To ascertain the woman's identity, Ibrahim said police were holding discussions with diplomats from North Korea and Vietnam.

Police are also looking for four men in connection with the apparent assassination of Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters in capital Kuala Lumpur Wednesday rejected claims regarding the alleged poor safety levels of Malaysian airports.

"It [the assassination] has nothing to do with our airport's safety. We have a very good security camera system and our airports are safe," he added.

Widespread reports a day earlier claimed 45-year-old Kim Jong-nam was poisoned by a pair of unidentified female assassins while preparing to fly from Malaysia to Macao on Monday.

The eldest son of late former leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-nam fell out of favor and was estranged after attempting to visit Japan in 2001 on a fake passport.

While he later criticized North Korea’s dynastic succession, he is said to have written to Kim Jong-un in 2012 asking to be spared along with his family.

Despite being concerned for his life, Kim Jong-nam apparently made no attempt to seek asylum in South Korea but rather benefited from Chinese protection.