Two exhibits in Kim Jong-Nam’s murder case, comprising t-shirts with the name of the two accused and nail samples, were produced at the Chemistry Department today for identification.

The identification of the exhibits, which were stored in a sealed plastic bag, was carried out at the department’s laboratory for safety reasons.

Lawyer Naran Singh, representing one of the accused, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, said that the identification process took almost an hour, and all those present in the laboratory were required to wear Hazmat suits and masks.

He said those present during the identification process at the laboratory were Doan, lawyer S Selvi, who represented the other accused, Indonesian Siti Aisyah, two security guards, and the Chemical Weapon Centre laboratory head S Raja.

High Court judge Azmi Ariffin, who presided over the hearing of the case, the prosecution and other lawyers involved were outside the laboratory.

Meanwhile, lawyer Gooi Soon Seng, also representing Siti Aisyah, said a blazer belonging to Kim could be produced for identification.

"We believed that the blazer is a vital piece of evidence as it contained the maximum concentration of VX. We will submit on the issue (why the blazer was not tendered as an exhibit) during submission,” he said.

When questioned why Siti Aisyah was not among those in the laboratory, Gooi said her presence was not necessary.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said the afternoon proceeding of the case was postponed to tomorrow as Raja, who was scheduled to continue his testimony, was not feeling well.

During proceedings last Thursday, Raja, the eighth witness, suggested the exhibits for identification to be opened at the Chemistry Department for safety reasons, as active VX was still found on the two T-shirts and nail samples.

Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan, 28, both clad in baju kurung, arrived at the Chemistry Department at 9.30am and were escorted by the police.

They were charged along with four others, who are still at large, with the murder of Kim, 45, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the KL International Airport 2 departure hall at 9am on Feb 13 this year.

The two women are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

- Bernama