Have RCI to find out motive behind Altantuya murder, DAP tells Najib

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang says there should be a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate key questions in the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, May 19, 2015.

Instead of clearing his name over the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu through a website post, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to find who ordered the death of the Mongolian interpreter, DAP's parliamentary leader said.

Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered nine years ago. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, May 19, 2015.Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang said Najib should not prolong the setting up of the RCI any longer, and that it should include a probe into why authorities, including the police, the attorney-general and the judiciary had not looked into the motive of the murder.

"If Najib is really concerned about ensuring justice for himself and the country’s institutions, particularly the rule of law and his credibility and reputation over Altantutya’s murder, he should not delay any further but should immediately set up an RCI," Lim said in a statement today.

The DAP stalwart was responding to Najib's recent blog posting, in which the prime minister had said that it was "unfair" to force him to re-open the Altantuya case, especially since the judicial process had been exhausted.

“It is unfair to force me to investigate this case again and demand to know who, if anyone, had ordered the killing,” he said.

“I am not involved and do not know anything about it. The court has determined who was guilty of the murder. That should be the end of the story.

“Despite the court’s lengthy deliberation and judgement, the ample time given to the appellants to have their case heard and judged, my 'sumpah laknat', the repeated denials I have made, the public explanations provided by Abdul Razak Baginda, some people continue to question the issue and keep trying to implicate me.”

“Sumpah laknat” is the Malay term for a sworn oath recited in a mosque.

Razak, a political analyst who was Najib's confidante at the time, was acquitted of abetting Altantuya's murder in 2006.

But‎ former police commandos Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were found guilty by the Federal Court after a final round of appeal and sentenced to death.

Sirul, who escaped to Australia where he is being held in detention, said that he was under orders to kill Altantuya.

Referring to Najib's sworn oath in the mosque, Lim said however that the prime minister should know that making a "sumpah laknat" was not a replacement for the judiciary process.

"Otherwise, we might do away with the judicial system altogether and just rely on a system of sumpah laknats to deal with crimes," he said.

"As prime minister, Najib must ensure that the question of who ordered Altantuya’s murder be answered, and as he has declared that he was not involved in Altantuya’s murder, did not know anything about it and had even made an oath, he should have no qualms about instituting a full inquiry to find these answers to Altantunya’s murder."

In his posting on Sunday, Najib also said it was important that the Federal Court judgement had served justice to everyone, including Altantuya's family, to those accused in the case, and even to him.

Lim said the issue of Najib's alleged involvement in the case had been "studiously and completely" avoided in the nine-year trial of Sirul and Azilah.

"This is exactly why the issue of who ordered Altantuya’s killing remains a very live and real issue and it will continue to be so as long as this whodunit question in her murder remains unanswered and unresolved," the DAP parliamentary leader said.

Yesterday, Lim said Najib was naive to think that his blog posting addressing the murder, among other issues, would put to rest queries about the death of the Mongolian woman nine years ago.

He said Najib's blog posting would only have the effect of raising questions, such as why there had been a "conspiracy of silence" by authorities in uncovering the motive of the murder and who ordered the killing.

Najib had listed 13 questions based on the allegations and criticism hurled at him and his administration, and given answers in his website in response to calls for his resignation as well as demands for answers from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other Umno leaders.

- TMI