“While the North Korean embassy in Malaysia is yet to assist Malaysia to contact Kim Chol’s next of kin, Malaysian police have no other option but to go through the proper channel to request that the China government assists in the seeking of Kim Chol’s next of kin,” an unnamed senior security source told The Telegraph, using the name given on Jong Nam’s passport.
According to the report, Jong Nam’s next of kin are his 21-year-old son, Kim Han Sol, and his 19-year-old daughter, Kim Sol Hui.
Han Sol has yet to appear in the country despite rumours, since quashed by police, that the young man arrived in Malaysia on Feb 21.
However, the security source told The Telegraph that his sister, Sol Hui, was expected to visit Malaysia on Sunday to provide DNA samples.
“Once the body identification is done and confirmed, she would directly fly back to Macau, as China’s embassy will be assisting her to go through the formalities for body claiming,” the source was quoted as saying.
This information is in line with the latest statement from the police, who said a family member of Jong Nam was expected to arrive in Malaysia by tomorrow.
In a report in The Star, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police would wait for the arrival of either his children or a close relative.
Jong Nam is believed to have been murdered by poisoning at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 on Feb 13.
It has led to a war of words between Malaysia and North Korea as the latter insists that the body be handed over to it. North Korea has also criticised Malaysian police investigations and the autopsy carried out on the body.