Written by Stan Lee, PoliticsNow Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR (politicsnowmy.blogspot.com) - Disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is back in a hotspot of his own making - while a former bodyguard due to be hanged has received a reprieve, thereby ensuring that death will not bury forever the truth about the purported 'real killers' in the Altantuya murder.
Now in jail for corruption, Najib returned to court today, telling the judge he never 'masterminded' the cold-blooded murder of an alleged 'party girl' Altantuya Shaariibuu some 18 years ago.
The 72-year-old ex-PM, who is also known for love for singing and dancing, is suing former attorney-general Tommy Thomas for linking him to Altantuya's murder in the latter's book 'My Story: Justice in the Wilderness'.
Since the murder was exposed in 2006, Najib has repeatedly denied he ever knew or had anything to do with Altantuya, a beautiful Mongolian girl whose entry into Malaysia was mysteriously never captured on immigration records or was totally 'wiped away' - bolstering talk that her killing was linked to extremely powerful hands in the Malaysian government.
Today, Najib again sought to distance himself not only from her but also from Razak Baginda, a close confidant whom he claims he got to know because the latter was a defense analyst "working under my administration".
To the more cynical, especially those who have followed the case for close on two decades, Najib as good as threw Razak Baginda under the bus by confirming Baginda and Altantuya were lovers, which Baginda himself has also admitted.
Yet throughout the murder case, speculation has always been rife that the "Razak" that Altanutya often referred to in her conversations, as recounted by her family and friends, was actually Najib Razak and not Razak Baginda.
“At the material time, I was deputy prime minister. I had never met her, and I’m innocent of this crime. I know Abdul Razak Baginda. He was the defence analyst working under my administration at the material time. That is how I know him." Najib told the court on Friday (Oct 11).
“He was involved in buying submarines from the French submarine maker, which involved a billion-dollar deal for the nation,” he said.
When asked about Altantuya, Najib said: “She was definitely not one of those who was in the higher echelons of the deal. As I know from media reports, she was a purported interpreter. I do not know details of their relationship, but I have come to know later that they were in a romantic relationship”.
WHY JUST TOMMY, WHAT ABOUT AZILAH & SIRUL?
The ex-PM has insisted that Tommy, as the author of the book, should have verified the facts before proceeding with publishing it.
Nonetheless, what has surprised more is why did Najib decide to sue Tommy, with most the bombastic disclosures already out in the public domain for over a decade. Those in the legal circles believe it may be part of a strategy by his advisers to discredit Tommy, the attorney-general responsible for sending him to jail over corruption charges.
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| Ex Batu MP Tian Chia |
"If Najib won his Altantuya defamation case against Tommy, there will be more reason to convince his political supporters that he is innocent against the 1MDB-linked graft charges too," an analyst told PoliticsNow Malaysia.
Altantuya was kidnapped while in the vicinity of Baginda's home by two Najib's bodyguards - chief inspector Azilah Hadri, now on Death Row in the Malaysian jail, and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, now in Australia amid weak-hearted attempts by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government to extradite him.
Both cops have separately alleged that they had been ordered to 'execute' Altantuya and so were acting as 'soldiers. Najib has been named as having claimed that Altantuya was a foreign spy - but his supporters have shot back that both Azilah and Sirul, with the death sentence facing them, were likely to accuse Najib of anything just to get themselves off the hook.
AZILAH ESCAPES THE NOOSE
Even as Najib was in the High Court, the Federal Court too was hearing Azilah's appeal for a review of his death sentence. Sensationally, Altantuya's father had also agreed to back Azilah's application and just a day ago, the apex court commuted it to 40 years of jail time with whipping.
“It is crucial to recognise that the United Nations declares the sanctity of life, emphasising that all beings on this planet have a right to existence. My request stems from a deep respect for the humanity of Mongolians,” the letter from Altantuya's father addressed to Azilah’s lawyer said.
“Furthermore, I urge a prompt resolution to the civil suits that have been pending for many years."
“Additionally, I ask that you convey the relevance of this request to Sirul Umar, who co-perpetrated the tragic case, as well as to his lawyer, the court, the prosecutor’s office, and the government,” Altantuya's father also called on "every nation", including Australia, to the honour the “virtues of humanity” and the upholding of “truthful expression."
According to pundits, it was not at all unexpected that Altantuya's family would support Azilah's application.
"You can call it a U-turn. But of what use is Azilah and Sirul's death. If they are hanged, the truth about Altantuya will never be known. The family, just like all Malaysians, want the big fish caught and punished, not just the 'ikan bilis'," a pundit told PoliticsNow Malaysia.
Written by Stan Lee, PoliticsNow Malaysia
https://politicsnowmy.blogspot.com/
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