A PAIR (or two) of comfortable shoes. An umbrella. Extra power bank. Barrels of caffeine. Sunglasses to hide the eyebags.
The above are items in the survival kit of the media in the administrative capital needed to cover the death of passport bearer Kim Chol, believed to be Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jongun.
Over the last two weeks, we are seeing more and more sleep deprived reporters and photographers from the local and foreign press, trying to chase down leads and persons of interest in the case.
The sight of the huge pool of foreign pressmen instantly brought me back to the time when Malaysia mourned the loss of flights MH370 and MH17 in 2014.
Three years later, Malaysia is once again in the world’s spotlight, with the alleged murder of Jong-nam by two women at klia2.
Many journalists have camped for days in front of the Sepang police headquarters trying to catch a glimpse of the people who were detained to assist in the police investigations into the case.
They have had to endure the rain and scorching sun while waiting for information that they need to relay back to their superiors, who are constantly breathing down their necks.
Other spots that have seen a large number of pressmen are the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and klia2, especially when information that the police would be going to the crime scene with those they had detained to re-enact the scene on the day of the murder went viral.
Another reason to camp out at the airports was news that persons of interest like Jong-nam’s son was expected to arrive in Malaysia to provide a DNA sample.
Nearly 100 reporters, photographers and cameramen were seen running towards passengers who resembled him.
It was madness. There were also incidents of passengers being blinded by camera flashes as they exited the arrival hall. One passenger reacted by saying quite loudly that he was not the son. Everybody laughed.
When reporters spotted a man with a face mask and spectacles, that looked similar to those of Jong-nam’s son, they ran towards him. He began to run when he saw the herd of reporters, photographers and cameramen barrelling towards him.
The hilarious part was bystanders also started to run as they did not know why everyone was running.
On Tuesday night, media representatives tried to intercept Malaysian Ambassador to North Korea Mohamad Nizan Mohamad at KLIA who had been recalled by Wisma Putra for consultations.
We waited until 1.30am, but there was no sight of him.
Less than five hours later, my colleague took over the stakeout. She had to leave her house at 5.30am as she had to reach the airport by 6am to catch the ambassador.
For the media, the Jong-nam murder case was a tiring affair and some had bruises to show as they had lost their footing as they chased after individuals and vehicles.
On Monday, the North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain the criticisms he had levelled against the Malaysian government.
Again, it was a media circus as reporters gathered there as early as 7am to ensure they would not miss the ambassador’s arrival.
I believe the situation was the same at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where Jong-nam’s body is kept. A large group of newsmen were also camping outside the North Korean Embassy.
Besides keeping track of the latest development in Jong-nam’s case, the media have also had to sieve through numerous conspiracy theories.
Many were asking why Jong-nam was killed on Malaysian soil. Did those who planned the assassination assume they would have a greater chance of getting away with it here?
Our boys in blue have certainly proved them wrong. Kudos to the Malaysian police. They have made several arrests and identified individuals who could have plotted the killing.
Despite the fatigue and frustration experienced by many newsmen in pursuing their stories, Malaysians are learning more about North Korea.
The majority of Malaysians now know that they can travel to North Korea without a visa. We also know more about the North Korean leader’s family tree.
With the current tension between Malaysia and North Korea, I hope things can be settled amicably.
I believe both nations will put pyeonghwa (peace) above all else.
With more than 15 years of experience in journalism and a masters in Counselling Psychology, Azura Abas is always drawn to the mysteries of the human mind and behaviour