The two female suspects detained in connection with the murder of Kim Jong-nam suffered adverse reactions from handling the VX nerve agent without protective gear.

In a text message to Malaysiakini, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the Indonesian woman suffered vomiting spells when riding in a taxi after the incident.

However, Khalid said, he was not aware if the women suffered skin-related problems as a result of smearing the VX on the victim with their bare hands.

"I did not see the suspects up close," he added.

The police chief said he was informed that the women have been provided with adequate medical treatment.

On Wednesday, Khalid told a press conference that the women had carried out trial runs at KLCC and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur before the Feb 13 attack.

He also dismissed speculation that the women believed they were part of a prank, stating that the pair appeared to have undergone training.

At that time, analysis was still being carried out to determine what toxic substance was used.

In an immediate reaction, the North Korean embassy questioned how the women were still alive if the two had handled the toxic substance with their bare hands.

The embassy insisted that the women were playing a prank, and demanded their release.

Jong-nam, who is the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was attacked at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) while waiting to board a flight to Macau.

The 45-year-old father of three died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Since the incident, diplomatic ties between North Korea and Malaysia have become strained, with Pyongyang casting aspersion on the investigation, accusing Putrajaya of colluding with hostile forces and fabricating evidence.

Malaysian leaders, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, have criticised North Korea for the allegations, while calls to review diplomatic ties with Pyongyang have been growing louder.

In a related development, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in a statement tonight said Malaysia has granted its request for direct consular access to its citizen.

"The confirmation (for access) was communicated directly by Malaysia's Foreign Minister (Anifah Aman) to Indonesia's foreign minister (Retno Marsudi) via a phone call tonight.

"The access will be given on Feb 25 (Saturday) from 10am to 3pm," the statement said.

It further said that a team from the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur would be visiting the suspect, who is being held at the Cyberjaya police station.

"The consular access will be used to perform a physical verification of the suspect's citizenship status, her conditions, as well as seeking information to plan for further legal assistance," it added.