MURDER suspect Doan Thi Huong saw her father for the first time today since she was arrested some two months ago on February 15 over the murder of Kim Jong-Nam.

The Vietnamese, who was charged with murder on April 5, saw her 63-year-old father Doan Van Thanh at the Kajang Prison this morning. Van Thanh was accompanied by Thi Huong’s cousin, Tran Huy Hoang.

Speaking to the media, Tran said Van Thanh visited his daughter today. She feared for his safety and asked them to stay at the Vietnamese embassy until they return home.

“She is worried about her father’s safety. He will not be going to the court tomorrow,” said Tran. Van Thanh, who was meant to attend the interview, did not show up.

Tran added that Thi Huong’s condition was much better now compared with earlier.

“She is not sad but she is worried about the safety of her father here,” said Tran.

Both Van Thanh and Tran arrived here on Monday. They are expected to leave on Saturday but may go back to Vietnam earlier after their meeting with Thi Huong today.

According to Tran, their expenses were paid by a civil society group.

“They took care of everything, as we do not have the money to come here,” said Tran.

Thi Huong’s father works as a cleaner at a market in Vietnam. She has four other siblings while her mother died last year from heart disease.

Tran hopes that Malaysia will see Thi Huong as innocent.

He said the family were shocked when they first found out about the case but insist that she is innocent.

“Our whole family and the Vietnamese people know that Thi Huong is innocent because she is a very good girl. We hope Malaysia knows that she is innocent, too,” he said.

Van Thanh and Tran also met Thi Huong’s lawyer Hisham Teh Poh Teik yesterday but could not reveal the details of the meeting.

Thi Huong, 28, was arrested with Indonesian Siti Aishah and both were charged on March 1 with the murder of Jong-Nam on February 13.

Jong-Nam was murdered while waiting for his flight to Macau. The case was adjourned to April 13 to give prosecutors and defence lawyers for the two women adequate time to prepare their arguments in a trial to be conducted in a higher court.

Their case is expected to be transferred to the High Court tomorrow.

In the charge sheet, the two women were accused of murdering “Kim Chol” at the klia2 departure hall.

Police have since identified Kim Chol as Jong-Nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-Un.

According to police, four North Koreans, who have since fled the country, were seen with the two women before they approached Jong-Nam.

In a stand-off following the case, Malaysia agreed to return Jong-Nam’s body along with two persons of interest who were sought earlier for questioning to assist in the murder investigation, in exchange for the safety of nine Malaysians who were barred from leaving North Korea. 

Both countries have recalled their ambassadors. – April 12, 2017.