Mongolia Lodges Protest With Malaysia Over Altantuya Case

Mongolia has lodged a diplomatic protest with Malaysia over the handling of the Altantuya murder case, urging a fair legal process and answers for her family two decades after she was killed, the Associated Press reported on Thursday (Nov 12).

Former Mongolian prime minister Zandanshatar Gombojav, who is Mongolia’s special envoy and a member of a government task force supporting Altantuya Shaariibuu’s family, told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur that the protest note was sent on Tuesday (Nov 10).

Four requests in diplomatic note

According to AP, the note made four requests: a fair review of a court ruling, the return of a convicted police officer who escaped to Australia so he can testify in the family’s civil suit, an examination of possible new evidence, and an official written response to Mongolia.

Zandanshatar said Mongolia did “profoundly regret the decision” made in January by the Court of Appeal in the civil suit. He said the family had endured great loss over 20 years without ever receiving an apology, and that a fair and final resolution mattered to trust between the two countries.

Altantuya murder case civil suit

Altantuya, who was 28 and pregnant, was shot dead and her body blown up with military-grade explosives in a jungle outside Kuala Lumpur in October 2006, AP reported.

Two members of an elite police unit who served as bodyguards to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak were convicted of her murder. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was tried and acquitted of abetting the crime. Who ordered the killing was never established, and Najib has repeatedly denied any involvement.

The family later sued the government, the two policemen and Abdul Razak. In 2022, the High Court found the defendants liable and awarded RM5 million. In January, the Court of Appeal cut the damages to RM1.4 million and ruled the government was not liable, finding the policemen had acted outside their official duties. The family has challenged that ruling.

Call to bring back officer from Australia

Both policemen were sentenced to death. One fled to Australia while appealing, while the other had his sentence commuted to 40 years in prison in 2024, AP said.

Zandanshatar said the testimony of the two men was crucial and urged Malaysia to step up talks with Australia to secure the return of the officer there. AP noted that the officer’s death sentence is a major obstacle to extradition.

The jailed officer reportedly made a statutory declaration in 2019 alleging Najib ordered the killing, and the officer in Australia has also suggested the killing was ordered by higher authorities. Najib has denied the allegations, which have not been established in court.

#latestmalaysia

Najib’s House Arrest: What We Know and What We Don’t