Altantuya’s murder: Malaysia court orders government, former political analyst to pay US$2.1 million in damages pending appeal

SHAH ALAM: A Malaysian court on Wednesday (Feb 12) ordered the country’s government and a former political analyst to transfer RM9.4 million (US$2.1 million) in damages - first awarded in a 2022 ruling - to a murdered Mongolian woman’s family within 30 days.

This is pending an appeal by the Malaysian government against the 2022 decision. The appeal will be heard later in May.  

Altantuya Shaariibuu was said to be the lover of former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who had advised former prime minister Najib Razak from 2000 to 2008.

Judicial Commissioner M Sumathi of the Shah Alam High Court ruled that the Malaysian government and Abdul Razak must make the payment within 30 days, the New Straits Times (NST) reported. 

This is 50 per cent of the total judgment sum, as well as interest, to date. 

The payment must be deposited into the stakeholder account of Altantuya’s father Shaariibuu Setev’s solicitors and will be released if the government’s May 19 appeal on the case fails. 

Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who represented the family, said that the court had allowed a conditional stay of the payment following a written application by Abdul Razak and the Malaysian government. 

In addition, Judge Sumanthi ordered Abdul Razak and the Malaysian government to pay costs of RM25,000 each to the plaintiffs within 30 days.

In 2022, the Malaysian government, Abdul Razak and two former Special Actions Unit policemen - Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar - were found jointly liable for the 2006 murder of Altantuya. 

The High Court ordered them to pay RM5 million in damages over her death. 

Altantuya’s family then applied to the court for the judgement to be enforced because the parties have yet to pay the damages as both the Malaysian government and Abdul Razak are appealing the 2022 decision. 

According to witnesses in Altantuya’s murder trial, the model had worked with Abdul Razak as a translator in relation to Malaysia’s 2002 purchase of submarines from a French state-owned company. 

Najib served as the defence minister then while Abdul Razak had brokered the deal, which is under investigation for corruption in both countries, according to Bloomberg. 

In the high-profile murder case, Altantuya was fatally shot by Azilah and Sirul before her body was blown up with military-grade C4 explosives at a secluded spot near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam on Oct 18, 2006. 

Azilah and Sirul were found guilty and sentenced to death for her murder. 

In October last year, the Federal Court reduced Azilah’s death sentence to a jail term of 40 years and 12 strokes of cane. Altantuya’s father - Shaariibuu - had written a letter in support of Azilah’s application.

Sirul, meanwhile, is in Australia, having fled while on bail in 2014. 

Abdul Razak was tried for abetting the murder but was eventually acquitted. 

Altantuya’s family filed a RM100 million civil suit against the two former policemen, Abdul Razak and the Malaysian government in 2007, claiming that the model’s death had resulted in them suffering mental shock and psychological trauma. They also sought compensation as well as exemplary and aggravated damages. 

The High Court ruling in 2022 awarded RM5 million in damages to her family and in the application in 2007, it had also sought interest on the damages and costs.