Friday, October 17, 2008.
A murder of Mongolian woman, that shocked the nation in 2006, continued making headlines in Malaysia last week when a political website again questioned the involvement of Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister in the case. Almost exactly two years ago Malaysian authorities discovered the remains of S. Altantuya, a 28-year old Mongolian who worked as a translator for Malaysian political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, in a forested area near Kuala Lumpur.
Abdul Razak, a close friend of Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, stands accused of abetting the murder and is currently on trial. Two members of Najib’s police guard have also been arrested in connection with the murder.Malaysia Today, a political website, printed a series of text messages allegedly exchanged between Najib and a lawyer representing Abdul Razak. The messages address potential charges and results in the case.
The site also states that Najib discussed the case with police officers and members of the attorney general’s office, indicating an “abuse of executive power” may have occurred. This most recent incident is not the first time Malaysia Today mentioned Najib’s name in connection with the murder. The site’s founder, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, currently sits in jail for his initial claims that Najib played a role in the homicide.
For his part, Najib has consistently denied that he ever met Altantuya or that he played any role in the grisly murder—the young Mongolian was shot twice before assailants exploded her body with explosives. During a press conference, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s Prime Minister, defended his deputy against the most recent allegations.
“I can’t believe that he would be involved in abuse of power,” he said. Many expect Najib to become Prime Minister when Abdullah Badawi’s term ends next year, but questions about his connection to the Alantuya case linger.
For now, however, it seems Najib can fully count on support from Malaysia’s top politician. “I believe in him,” Abdullah said of his second in command. Mongolia’s Government has yet to comment on Abdullah’s statements.