Let’s Send Altantuya Murderers to Hell: Malaysian Press

Let’s Send Altantuya Murderers to Hell: Malaysian Press


Saturday, 10 May 2008

(UB Post, Mongolia) - The father of a Mongolian woman brutally killed in Malaysia in 2006, this week told media that Mongolia would break all diplomatic ties with the country unless the Malaysian judicial system solves the murder case justly and fairly.

Shaariibuu made the outburst during a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur, where he arrived for the third time in an attempt to speed up the trial of his daughter Altantuya’s alleged murderers.

He visited Malaysian Parliament House on April 28 and held a press conference to request his lawyer personally deliver his letter addressed to both Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He also asked media representatives and 222 newly-elected members of the Malaysian parliament to stand up for 10 seconds in memory of his deceased daughter.

He waited at the entrance of the Malaysian Parliament House for half a day to force an impromptu meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

When Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrived to attend Parliament’s ceremonial session of the swearing-in of new members, he briefly said “Hello, how are you?” before walking away without hearing Shaariibuu’s reply, local media reported.

“I felt the least he could exchange some words and say words of condolences to Shaariibuu for the lost of his daughter,” said Susan Loone, a Malaysian human rights activist.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated on April 28 that S.Shaariibuu’s statement to Malaysian press representatives was his own personal view, not a formal position by the Government of Mongolia.

The MFA statement said that the Mongolia government was carefully observing the murder trial, and has sent four letters to the Malaysian side through official channel in the hope that the case would be solved fair and free from any political influence.

“The most recent one was by S.Oyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a Member of Parliament, she sent a letter to Malaysian Parliament, reiterating the case will be solved free and fair,” the statement said.

Altantuya, 28 and a mother of two children, was murdered in October, 2006 in Shah Alam. She was shot twice and then blown up with military-use C4 explosives.

Two police officers, who protected high-profile Malaysia leaders including Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak, are accused of the murder and Abdul Razak Baginda, a close political associate of Malaysian Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak, is charged with abetting the murder.

Altantuya, a multi-lingual translator working for Abdul Razak Baginda, is believed to have known “too much” about multi-billion Euro weapon deals, especially Malaysian government’s purchase of nuclear submarines from France in which Abdul Razak Baginda negotiated in between.

Altantuya was last seen in front of Abdul Razak Baginda’s house, being pushed into a car and driven away. Her entrance records at the Malaysian immigration computer database were found deleted for unknown reason after she died.

Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak’s press secretary, Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad, issued a statement on May 29 that neither the Malaysian deputy prime minister nor his wife, Rosmah Mansor, had anything to do with the murder of the Mongolian translator.

In the statement, the press secretary threatened legal action if allegations in the press and elsewhere of Najib’s involvement in the case continued. The statement also denied that Najib had anything to do with erasing the victim’s immigration records, or that he had ever met her.

Earlier during the trial procedure, Altantuya’s cousin said that she saw a picture of Altantuya at a dinner table with Najib and Abdul Razak.The Malaysian opposition leader, Wan Azizah, said she will take up the issues to Parliament.

“We have 82 members in Parliament now, surely many questions can be asked to make this trial speedy.

“Questions that can only be raised in Parliament are who ordered Altantuya’s killing, who ordered the explosives that killed Altantuya, and was she dead or alive before she was blown,” she said.

“I will never tire of asking them again and again till we get some answers.

“This trial is not only about a single woman, it is about international relations, performance of the court and judges, and the question of our basic human rights - right to free and fair trial,” Azizah said.

Karpal Singh, a prominent Malaysian lawyer representing Shaariibuu, said the slow pace of the trial has taken its toll on Shaariibuu and his family.

“Altantuya’s youngest son, who is 4 years old, is presently in hospital suffering from peripheral nerve paralysis and cannot walk. Further, his wife has just had a heart attack,” added Karpal.

Karpal expressed regret that the Malaysian government had not responded to the Mongolian Government’s letters sent by its Prime Minister to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He urged Abdullah to pay attention to the letters and relay his response immediately.

“Every effort should be made to ensure the trial is fair and expeditious, fair and free.

“The eyes of the international world are on us. In fact our legal and judicial systems are themselves on trial”, he said.

He also said that he had written to the Malaysian Attorney General, Gani Patail, to ensure that the trial proceeds without any further delay.

The trial, which was delayed a number of times since June 2007, has been delayed again last week until May 5. So far, 75 witnesses have been called.