REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUALA LUMPUR-- Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Monday his government's investigation of the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, will be "objective", as tension rose between the countries.

Earlier on Monday, Malaysia said it has recalled its envoy from Pyongyang and summoned North Korea's ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, who again cast doubt on the impartiality of Malaysia's investigation into the murder and said the victim was not Kim Jong Nam. "We have no reason why we want to do something to paint North Korea in a bad light, but we will be objective," Najib told reporters in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

CCTV footage obtained by Reuters appeared to show Kim Jong Nam being attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday last week by a woman, who is believed to have wiped a fast-acting poison on his face. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video, and police officials were not immediately available for comment.

Kim Jong Nam, 46, who had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau under Beijing's protection, had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Korean legislators last week cited their spy agency as saying the young and unpredictable North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012.

Malaysian police are hunting four North Koreans who fled from the country on the day of the attack, having already detained one North Korean man, a Vietnamese woman, an Indonesian woman, and a Malaysian man. At least three of the wanted North Koreans caught an Emirates flight to Dubai from Jakarta late on the day of the attack, an immigration official in Indonesia told Reuters.

Malaysia's Star newspaper reported that all four had returned to North Korea. North Korea had sought to prevent Malaysia from conducting an autopsy, insisting the body be handed over. Its envoy in Kuala Lumpur accused Malaysian authorities of "delaying" the release of the body. "At the moment we cannot trust the investigation by the Malaysian police," ambassador Kang Chol told reporters after talks at the foreign ministry.

He said the embassy had only identified the victim as Kim Chol, based on the passport found on the dead man, and suggested a joint investigation with Malaysian authorities. Kim Jong Nam had been caught using fake travel documents in the past.

Malaysia's foreign ministry announced the withdrawal "for consultations" of its ambassador in North Korea and said the body would be handed over to the next of kin, although none had come forward. Malaysia's health minister said autopsy results could be released by Wednesday. Malaysia is one of the few countries that maintains ties with the reclusive state and the dispute could further isolate impoverished North Korea.

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