Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today instructed Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to cooperate with the police over the death of a North Korean man at KL International Airport 2 on Monday.

The police are trying to verify whether the North Korean national, bearer of a passport identifying him as Kim Chol, was indeed Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as reported by foreign media.

Liow also gave the assurance that klia2 was safe and had a good security system.

"It is important we have a very good security system (at the airport) and our airport is safe," he said to reporters at the ministry here.

Foreign media had identified the North Korean as Jong-nam and at least one had reported that he was poisoned at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean operatives.

Liow said he had instructed MAHB to cooperate with the police, including providing footage of the CCTV cameras at klia2, although full details of the incident were not available.

Kim was reportedly at klia2 to board a flight to Macau on Monday, but died on the way to hospital after seeking help at the airport counter. -- BERNAMA