Saturday, November 18, 2006

MORE PICS - DEMOLITION CHINESE TEMPLE in Penang Halted - Scuffle BROKE Out (APPEAL REMOVE Statues & Deities Refused); 2 Shots FIRED; SIX Arrested


UPDATE 1_ Demo at the Site& the aftermath of the demolition
23rd Nov 2006




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Ministry takes council to task over demolition 19 Nov 2006 NST

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Internal Security Ministry has slammed the Seberang Prai Municipal Council for demolishing part of the Tou Mu Kung Nine Emperors God’s temple here on Friday. Work was stopped half way following a fracas between the demolition team and temple committee members. Deputy Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said he deeply regretted the council's action and alluded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s reminder at the just-concluded Umno general assembly that issues on race and religion were sensitive and should be addressed with care. "It is regrettable this incident happened. The council should have abided by the prime minister’s call," he said. Police fired two warning shots to prevent the fight from turning uglier. The council proceeded with the demolition work after issuing a notice to the temple committee two months ago for building a structure without an approval. The action caused anger among devotees and temple committee members as the demolition order was expected to be discussed at the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.

Fu expressed hope the state government would find an amicable solution to the matter.

"The council has the right to carry out enforcement but it should at least wait for the decision of the state exco." Temple committee members lodged a police report yesterday alleging that the demolition team had used excessive force on them. They did so at the Seberang Perai Tengah district police headquarters in Bandar Perda after a meeting at the temple. Berapit assemblyman Lau Chiek Tuan also lodged a report against a police sergeant, who he alleged had provoked temple members. "The policeman shouted to me saying that he did not care even if the temple members died during the incident." He said the committee was compiling evidence on the conduct of council workers. The State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs committee chairman, who is also the committee adviser, said the evidence included photographs. "This evidence will be forwarded to the police for action," he said. The six committee members arrested during the fracas were released on police bail yesterday. State CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner (II) Abdul Samah Mat said police had recorded statements from all parties. Two temple members and a police sergeant sought outpatient treatment at the Seberang Jaya Hospital for injuries sustained in the fracas. Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng called on MPSP president Datuk Md Aris Ariffin to step down "as he was not sensitive enough to hold such a public service position". "What is the point of stopping the demolition after part of the building was pulled down?" Lim said Md Aris could have been more sensitive by giving more time to the temple committee, considering the fact that they had appealed and were willing to resolve the matter with the local authority.

He was speaking to reporters after the Penang DAP staged a protest in front of Komtar over the council’s action. Lim asked the state government to explain its position in the matter as the land on which the temple was sited came under its jurisdiction.
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Scuffle breaks out during temple demolition;

Regina William Updated: 04:49PM Fri, 17 Nov 2006 SUN; BUKIT MERTAJAM (Nov 17, 2006): Police were forced to fire two warning shots when a scuffle broke out while Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) enforcement workers were in the midst of tearing down a Taoist temple along Jalan Maju on Friday (Nov 17, 2006).
More than 50 MPSP enforcement personnel and about 30 police officers had cordoned off the area around the Nine Emperor God temple from as early as 8am to enable the demolition works to be conducted. The temple committee had supposedly constructed a house of worship without prior council approval. Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng who was at the scene with state executive
councillor and Berapit state assemblyman Lau Chiek Tuan said both of them appealed to the enforcement unit to defer the demolition until the temple's statues and deities were removed. "We tried to persuade them but they refused.

"When they started demolishing the extension structures, the temple's committee members managed to tear part of the zinc fencing and entered the temple compound.

"They, too pleaded with the council workers to stop and the scuffle started between the groups which had gathered there," she added. Police personnel who were at the scene then fired two shots and in the ensuing free-for-all, arrested six people at the scene.

The demolition works were then halted. Chong later went to meet council president Datuk Aris Ariffin who said the temple had been constructed illegally even though the land belonged to the temple. "He told us there was no approval for the temple building and the council had to act based on public complaints," she said. "The council should be sensitive when tearing down places of worship even if they are illegal structures. I don't understand the double standards practised. "Look at Zakaria's (Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros) house which the council has not torn down despite it being illegal. "This matter could have been solved amicably if the council had been sensitive enough," she added. Chong claimed that after the temple authorities received a notice from the council, state executive councillor Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon and Lau met Aris and asked for a grace period before the temple was demolished. Toh had suggested that the state exco would discuss the matter after the Nine Emperor God celebrations which ended last week. But before the state exco could discuss the matter, the council had moved in to demolish the structure. "Due to the council's insensitivity, matters have gotten out of hand and resulted in such a volatile situation. "This is a regretable incident as the temple committee was willing to cooperate," Chong added. She called on the state government and the housing and local government ministry to formulate guidelines on the necessary procedures which must be adhered to when demolishing structures especially places of worship. Aris and other council officials could not reached for comment despite numerous attempts. Deputy CPO SAC II Othman Harun confirmed that six persons were arrested and the case has been classified as rioting under Section 148 of the Penal Code.
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Malaysian police fire in temple demolition protest; Friday November 17, 9:12 PM

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A bid by Malaysian officials to raze an ethnic Chinese temple turned ugly on Friday with police firing warning shots to quell protests, a witness said, just a day after the premier sought curbs on religious disputes. About 40 people scuffled with about 80 police and municipal officials at the Taoist temple on the northern island of Penang, soon after the structure was cordoned off for demolition, the parliamentary deputy for the area said. Municipal authorities say it was built without planning approval. "They didn't allow anyone to go in and pick up the statues and deities of the gods and that made people angry," Chong Eng, a lawmaker and member of the opposition Democratic Action Party, told Reuters. "People forced the gate to enter the temple," she added. Police fired two warning shots to break up the scuffle and arrested six people, she added. The demolition was halted pending a decision by municipal authorities next week. Police declined to comment.

The incident follows several recent reports of demolitions of Hindu temples that have stirred outcry from Malaysia's ethnic Indian community, feeding minority communities' fears that their rights are at risk among a largely Muslim population. Political leaders of the ethnic Malay majority have warned the nation's Chinese and Indian minorities to stop questioning Malay privileges or risk hurting race relations, a touchy issue in a country that has suffered race riots in the past. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said polemics on race and religion in Malaysia had reached a worrying level, saying guidelines for debate needed to be laid down. "It's time to remind people to lay down the ground rules," Abdullah, an Islamic scholar who portrays Malaysia as a moderate Muslim nation said on Thursday.
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Following are belated versions of the incident with other details

Near riot as temple is torn down; From NST; 18 Nov 2006;
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BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police fired two warning shots to prevent a near riot when workers from the Seberang Perai Municipal Council tried to demolish a Taoist temple here yesterday. The incident occurred when a 40-man enforcement team escorted by auxiliary policemen turned up at the Tou Mu Kung temple in Jalan Maju.

here about 9am. They then attempted to demolish the building using excavators. However, tempers became frayed when the enforcement team prevented temple committee members from entering the building to remove statues of deities and other praying material. The demolition team then proceeded to tear down the temple’s front portion despite appeals from State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Lau Chiek Tuan and Bukit Mertajam Member of Parliament Chong Eng. This sparked anger among some 50-odd temple members at the site. Some of them decided to climb over the temple’s fence, forcing the policemen to react. Two shots were fired and moments later six men, including temple committee members, were handcuffed.

One of the handcuffed men suddenly started hyperventilating and collapsed and was rushed to the Seberang Jaya Hospital. He is reported to be in stable condition. It is learnt that a police sergeant was injured in the commotion and received outpatient treatment. Lau, who is also Berapit state assemblyman, criticised the council for failing to handle the matter tactfully. He also chided MPSP president Datuk Md Aris Ariffin for dishonouring a promise that the temple’s status would be discussed at the state executive council meeting next Wednesday. He said Md Aris had agreed last month to allow the matter to be handled by State Exco members. Chong demanded that the council explain why it was tearing down temples when there were hundreds of other illegal structures in the area.

And From The STAR +++++++++++++

Cop and two others hurt as crowd turns violent

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police fired two shots in the air to disperse a crowd of 300 which turned unruly during demolition work at a Chinese temple in Jalan Maju here. Three people, including a policeman, were injured in the incident that happened at 8.30am yesterday. Two of them – a contractor’s son and a worker at a housing project behind the illegal temple – were warded at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital with head injuries while the policeman was treated for bruises.

The mob was believed to have attacked the duo over suspicions that the contractor of the housing project had complained to the Seberang Prai Municipal Council about the temple. It is learnt that police have detained six persons aged between 20 and 40. Temple committee vice-chairman Ang Sum Kee, 43, said the temple was built in 1985. Berapit assemblyman Lau Chiek Tuan said he and state executive councillor Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon met council president Datuk Md Aris Ariffin after the temple committee was notified by the council that the structure was illegal and would be demolished. “We told Md Aris to wait until we raised the matter at the exco meeting on Wednesday,” he said, adding that the temple committee was looking for an alternative site for the temple. Md Aris was not available for comment despite attempts to contact him.


Friday, November 17, 2006

MORE PICS (Part 3)–Murdered MONGOLIAN Altantuya Shaariibuu @ Aminah-Continuing UPDATES; Charge- Razak Baginda (Abetting); 2 OFFICERS (MURDER)

If you have finished Part 3 ........GoTo Part 4 H E R E

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MORE PICS (Part 4)–Murdered MONGOLIAN Altantuya Shaariibuu TRIAL; Charged – Abdul Razak Baginda (Abetment) & 2 Police OFFICERS (MURDER) On Dec 14;

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GoTo Part 2 H E R E
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Continuing the Murder Saga - PART 3
MORE PICS (Part 3)–Murdered MONGOLIAN Altantuya Shaariibuu @ Aminah-Continuing UPDATES; Charge - Razak Baginda (Abetment); 2 OFFICERS (MURDER)
if you have just drop in...
Or GoTo Part 1; H E R E

Or GoTo Part 2 H e r e

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UPDATE 15 25th Nov 06; 10:30am

Altantuya's Father Intends To Make Film In Tribute Of Her; November 24, 2006 00:54 AM ;By B. Hariharasuthan

ABOVE: Altantuya’s father, Shaaribuu Shefev, 56, (right) during an exclusive interview with BERNAMA reporter, B.Hariharasuthan at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- The father of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the Mongolian beauty who was brutally murdered four weeks ago in Malaysia, will make a film on his daughter's life as a tribute to her. Dr Shaariibuu Setev, 56, said the film would be a priceless memoir of his daughter and that he would be its writer and director. "I have not selected the title yet but have already drawn an outline how the storyline will be. Work on the film will start as soon as possible. "This is the only tribute that I can give to my beloved daughter and I promise myself to work hard in filming her life's journey. Altantuya will never return but her memory will never fade either," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview with the help of a translator here, Tuesday night. Shaariibuu, who is the director of the National University of Mongolia's Information and Educational Centre, said the film would focus on Altantuya's life journey since childhood and until her final days in this world. The main locations would be Ulan Bator and Moscow, Russia, as Altantuya spent most of her life in these places since 1982, he said. Shaariibuu, who had produced 16 episodes of Discovery Channel programmes about Mongolia a few years ago, expected the film to be completed in a year. He said he would add messages of love and compassion and family ties in the film. "It will be not be easy to make this film as it involves my feelings and emotions, although I'm a psychologist by profession. At times it's hard to cover your sadness, but you have to do so for the sake of your family.

"I must place myself in her tragic situation and feel the fear my daughter would have gone through in her final moments. I'm not promoting myself or to make profit but to show the world about my girl, who had been killed in a way that no one could imagine," he sobbed. When asked his personal feelings on media reports on Altantuya, he expressed his deepest regret. He said his heart was broken when he saw indecent pictures of models, claimed to be Altantuya's, which were carried in a leading English newspaper here.

"For your information, I'm also a writer in Mongolia and I know the ethics of journalism. As a father, I feel it was unethical to publish those pictures just to make profit. "Please try to be sincere in writing and ask your heart whether the story is true or not. It's simple, if you can put yourself into other people's pain, than you can understand better... be professional in this journalism field," he blasted. He stressed that reports carried by the same paper from Mongolia were also not true and spoiled the good name of journalism.

Shaariibuu and a niece Gal Ochir, 26, left Thursday night on a China Airways flight. They arrived at the departure lounge of the KL International Airport (KLIA) at 9pm accompanied by the Honorary Consul of Mongolia in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al Habshi. Altantuya's brutal murder received wide coverage here and in Mongolia following speculation that apart from being shot, explosives were also used to blow up her body to pieces. Fragments of bones which were later verified as hers were recovered in a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam in Shah Alam early this month. Altantuya came to Malaysia on Oct 6 with a cousin, reportedly to search for a Malaysian man who had befriended her in Mongolia. When she went missing on Oct 19, her cousin lodged a police report and sought help from the Mongolian embassy in Bangkok. Two policemen from the Federal Police Special Action Force, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, have been charged with her murder. A prominent local political analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda, 46, has been charged with abetment in the murder.

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UPDATE 14 24th Nov 06; 08.05am MORE PICTURES

ABOVE: The family moral support, with wife leading followed by daughter Rowenna and Mother and (back) Left - Brother & Father (se also BELOW)

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Above: the mother is a Chinese, muslim convert

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BELOW: After 1 Million Bail, HANDS FREE, going home


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UPDATE 13 23rd Nov 06; 22:30pm; more pictures coming........

Father of murdered Mongolian woman speaks up

23 Nov 2006; Irdiani Mohd Salleh and Fadhal Ilahi Abd Ghani; N S T

ABOVE: Altantuya Father arrivinf in court with Mongolian Consel & BELOW: With relative & other daughter??


KUALA LUMPUR, THU.: In court today, Shaariibuu Setev praised police for their quick work in solving his daughter’s murder. He was happy with the system. But minutes later, after the court released Abdul Razak Baginda on a RM1 million bond,

ABOVE & BELOW: Altantuya Father was very unhappy on the "quick release" of the suspect

Shaariibuu looked dejected. Clearly not expecting the court decision, the 56-year-old did not hide his frustrations when speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after proceedings. “I am not happy. This case has received international attention. I will take it to the United Nations Commission for Human Rights if necessary,” he said through an interpreter.

Let’s see how the trial goes.” Shaariibuu was accompanied to court by the Honorary Consul of Mongolia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi, and a Mongolian interpreter.

ABOVE & BELOW: Altantuya's father: explaining his views thru the interpreter

It was all about releasing him (Razak Baginda), about his family and his background. But I hope that justice will be served,” the aggrieved father said. Shaariibuu, who is the director of the Centre for Information and Education at the National University of Mongolia, said he will not stay for the trial as his wife is still recuperating from a stroke back home. “Any father will be disappointed. I should not have allowed her to come here,” he said. During a subsequent interview over the telephone, Shaariibuu, through Syed Abdul Rahman, said there seemed to be no sympathy for his daughter who was blown to bits. “The proceedings earlier was centred on Razak. There was no sensivity shown towards my family. How can he be released so soon? I simply don’t understand this,” he said. Sounding dejected, Shaariibuu said he has an appointment with the Mongolian President tomorrow and will seek his advice. Shaariibuu came down on Nov 9, two days after his daughter Altantuya’s remains were found in a jungle in Bukit Raja.

The father held a Press conference two days later where his described his daughter as a successful businesswoman and a part-time model who owned a house and a car. He said his daughter was fluent in English, Chinese and Russian and denied allegations that his daughter was a gold-digger who had come to Malaysia to extort money from Razak.

He refused to speak on Altantuya’s relationship with Razak. Last Friday, the father and two of his nieces performed the funeral rites for Altantuya at the site where she was murdered. Altantuya’s remains are still being held at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary for the police investigations

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Cop’s brother angry over court bond issue; Friday November 24, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: Johari Hadri, the brother of C/Insp Azilah, and Altantuya’s father, Dr Shaariibuu Setev, were among those who attended the court proceedings yesterday.

While Abdul Razak Baginda and his family were relieved that he was released on a court bond, Johari, who was standing at the doorway of the packed courtroom, uttered something in anger the moment the bond was allowed.

“What about the other two in Shah Alam? Are they going to get bail?” he said, referring to his brother and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar. Dr Shaariibuu, who was present in court in an attempt to secure the remains of his daughter, was given a chance to address the court after DPP Salehuddin Saidin said the police still needed the bone fragments for another month for their investigations.

After conveying his thanks and gratitude through a translator to various parties who had helped as well as those who shared his grief, Dr Shaariibuu said he understood and respected police procedure and added that he was willing to wait. However, what he said next was a bit problematic as Justice Abdul Kadir had to quickly interject to ask the translator not to translate what was said. The female translator had quoted Dr Shaariibuu as saying, “If a neighbour’s dog is barking, nobody shoots to kill the dog ...” before she was cut off. After the proceedings, Dr Shaariibuu told reporters that he was not satisfied with yesterday’s outcome, saying all that the lawyers spoke about was Razak, his reputation and who he was. “I hope justice will be served,” he said, adding that he would not hesitate to bring the matter to the international arena if he found the trial was not fair.

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RM 1 Million B A I L ; Razak on a RM1 million bond with two sureties without security.


Altantuya Murder: Razak Pleads Not Guilty To Abetment, Released On Bail; November 23, 2006 15:56 PM KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Prominent political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda pleaded not guilty in the High Court here Thursday for abetting the gruesome murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu. The 46-year-old head of a local think-tank was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code for abetting and read together with Section 302 of the same code, which carries the mandatory death penalty, upon onviction. Razak, clad in a pink long-sleeved shirt and grey pants, said he understood the charges when asked by court interpreter Salha Abdul Jalal. Razak, who entered the courtroom at 9.30am, was seen mumbling when Salha read the charge to him before High Court Judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Musa at about 10.20am. When he arrived at the courtroom, Razak was in tears when hugged by his mother.

His wife, Mazlinda Makhzan, his only child, Rowena, and his parents were in the courtroom. He was alleged to have committed the offence between 9.54am and 11.05am on Oct 18 at the 10th floor of Bangunan Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang. Razak allegedly abetted Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, to commit the offence. Razak, however, did not show much reaction and remained calm throughout the proceeding. M. Puravalen, one of Razak's lawyers, applied for bail on health reason under Section 388 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Puravelan said according to the medical report by Dr Nor Azleen Ayob, the emergency medical and trauma specialist at the Emergency Department of Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Razak went to the hospital's emergency department on Nov 8 after complaining of chest pain and short of breath.

He said the medical examination revealed Razak had normal vital signs with no evidence of heart disease but had acute bronchitis (inflammation of the chest wall). Puravelan also tendered to the court a medical report by Datuk Dr S. Jeyaindran, Kuala Lumpur Hospital's senior pulmonary consultant, which states that Razak, who was admitted to the hospital, is now stable and can be brought out to facilitate police investigations. However, Puravelan pointed out that Dr Jeyaindran in his report had said that Razak was not fit to be discharged from hospital and had to be brought back as soon as possible if at any time his condition became unsustainable.

In his bail application, Puravelan also cited the case of Datuk Balwant Singh, who was released on RM500,000 bail pending his murder trial in 2002. Deputy public prosecutor Salehuddin Saidin, objected to the bail application on the grounds that the offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction, is a non-bailable offence. He said he was worried about Razak's attendance for the trial if the court allowed bail. Salehuddin said if bail was allowed, he suggested that the court impose RM1 million with several conditions -- Razak's international passport be impounded, report to the nearest police station at least once a week and other conditions deemed fit by the court. Justice Abdul Kadir, in allowing bail, said he was releasing Razak on a RM1 million bond with two sureties without security.

He said he was allowing bail on health grounds because if Razak was sick, he would not be able to be present in court during the trial. Asked by Abdul Kadir who were his bailors, Razak's brother, Dr Rani Abdullah, and sister, Rohani, stood up to say they wanted to bail out their brother. The judge explained to them he was releasing Razak on RM1 million bond with two sureties and without security. "If the accused fails to be present in court for mention or trial, you have to pay the court RM100,000 for his absence each time."


He said the bond was effective today until the next mention date at the Shah Alam High Court on Dec 14. Razak who was released at 1pm, was accompanied by his family to the court car park. Earlier, Abdul Kadir allowed Salehuddin's application for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam High Court for a joint trial with Azilah and Sirul Azhar.

Lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya's family, also sought permission from the court to raise the application by Sharriibuu Setev, Altantuya's father, to bring his daughter's bone fragments to Mongolia. He said the bone fragments were still in police custody. Karpal Singh also raised his dissatisfaction over the remarks by Razak's lead counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to the media that Razak was innocent and that the remand order on his client by the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court was improperly done. As the case involved a foreign national and was given extensive publicity by the local and foreign media, he said Muhammad Shafee's remarks were unprofessional and could jeopardise the court process.

Muhammad Shafee told the court that Karpal Singh had misread his remarks. "Karpal had misread what transpired in the magistrate's court. He has totally misconstrued. There is no criticism of the magistrate. Karpal should look at the notes of proceedings before raising this matter," he said. At this juncture, Abdul Kadir interjected, saying the issue should be resolved among themselves and not in court. On Altantuya's bone fragments, Salehuddin said the police were still investigating and the bones would be returned to the family after investigations had been completed. The court was also told by Zulkefli Nordin and Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin that Azilah and Sirul Azhar had appointed them as their defence counsel respectively. Zulkefli said Azilah and Sirul Azhar had never appointed Shaun Tan Kee Shaan as their lawyer and asked Tan to discharge himself from representing them.

Zulkefli also tendered to the court notes from Azilah and Sirul Azhar which state that they had never appointed Tan as their lawyer and that any previous appointment is cancelled. Tan, who represented Azilah and Sirul Azhar at the Shah Alam magistrate's court on Nov 15, said he had asked Azilah and Sirul Azhar whether they had engaged a counsel and they said they had not. Justice Abdul Kadir said the issue should be brought up with the Shah Alam High Court where the case had been set for mention on Dec 14.

To be transparent to Altantuya's family, the judge said he would like Sharriibuu to say something so that he would not misread what happened in court when he returns to Mongolia. Sharriibuu, assisted by an interpreter, said he was satisfied with police investigations and was thankful to the investigating officers for cooperating with him. Altantuya's brutal murder received wide coverage here and in Mongolia following speculation that apart being shot, explosives were also used to blow up her body to pieces. Altantuya came to Malaysia on Oct 6 with her cousin, reportedly to search for Razak who had befriended her. When she went missing on Oct 19, her cousin lodged a police report and sought help from the Mongolian embassy in Bangkok. Acting on the report, police detained six suspects -- Razak, Azilah, Sirul Azhar, a woman detective and two private investigators. The detective and private investigators were later released on police bail. When met outside the court, Shaariibuu, 56, said he would not be following his daughter's murder case as his wife had been admitted to a hospital in Ulan Bator following a heart attack. Asked whether Altantuya had a 16-month-old boy fathered by Razak, he said she did not have one. Meanwhile, a check by BERNAMA at Razak's house in Jalan Setiajaya, Bukit Damansara, showed the situation was calm. Razak's parents were seen leaving the house at about 1.40pm and returning at 4.15pm. The family sought cooperation from the media not to disturb Razak and his family. Razak's mother, when about to leave the house, shouted at the horde of reporters waiting outside the house, saying: "What more you people want." Till 4.15pm, Razak was not seen at his house.

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UPDATE 12 22nd Nov 06; 023:15pm

Magistrate court today ordered the released of 2 private investigators detained on Nov 09. Theye were released on Court Bond of RM50,000 without surety but their passports were surrendered to the court.

Both men 35, 46 (see Below) are the main prosecution witnesses in the murder of the Altantuya murder.

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PIs In Altantuya's Murder Case Released On Bond; November 22, 2006 19:23 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Two private investigators, who were remanded twice to assist police in the investigation into the high-profile murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, were released on bond by the Magistrate's Court here Wednesday. The duo, aged 35 and 46 years respectively, were released on a RM50,000 bond each without any surety and ordered to surrender their passports to the court. The order was issued by Magistrate Nik Asma Anita Makhtar under Section 49 of the Penal Code.

ABOVE & BELOW: The private Investigations being led to court

Clad in black and blue T-shirts and dark pants, they were brought to the court at 9.30 am in a police van and escorted out at 1.45 pm, to be taken to the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters. They were remanded for five days from Nov 9 to assist the murder probe and were released on police bail on Nov 13.

ABOVE & BELOW: More pics of the 2 investigators aged 35 & 46 years old

However, they were re-arrested two days later and the same court issued a second remand order against them under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which expired Wednesday.

A woman lance-corporal, who was also remanded to assist police in the probe was released on Monday with a RM10,000 bond without any surety by Magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani. Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Constable Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, from the Federal Police Special Action Squad (UTK) were charged in the Shah Alam Magistrate's Court on Nov 15 with the murder of Altantuya, 28. The following day, a prominent local political analyst, Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 46, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court for abetment in the murder of the woman. Abdul Razak's case will be mentioned at the High Court here Thursday. Pieces of Altantuya's body, believed to have been blown up with explosives after the woman was allegedly shot dead, were found at a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam.

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UPDATE 11 21tst Nov 06; 04:15pm

Creating Realities in our lives; Relationships, Deaths and Energy - the basis of the Universe.

In each life you choose and create your own settings or environments; and in this one you chose your parents and whatever childhood incidents that came within your experience. You wrote the script. Like a true absent minded professor, the conscious self forgets all this, however, so when tragedy appears in the script, difficulty or challenges, the conscious self looks for someone or something to blame. You form your experience; you form your past, your present, and your future. You are responsible for each daily moment, individually and en masse. En masse, your beliefs bring about the world conditions that you know. Individually, they form your intimate daily life. You are given the gifts of the gods. Your beliefs become reality.

What you believe in, it becomes real in your experience. There are no other rules. There is no area in your life to which this does not apply. You make your own reality: your dreaming reality, your waking reality, and all realities in which you have existence. There are no accidents. Your joys come from you, and your successes, and your failure, or what you think of as failure. You are in physical existence to learn and understand that your energy, translated into feelings, thoughts and emotions, causes all experience. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. You create your own reality. You form your experience according to your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. Whatever you focus on in your mind will be materialized in your life. If you want to change your reality, you must first change the thoughts and emotions that you focus upon. So if you think and believe you are rich, you achieve it. How about a lifetime income income? Go h e r e.

Amid the mad daily scramble, you do make your own reality. This sounds too simple, but you will not be caught in an earthquake or murder if you do not want to be, and no one dies who has not decided to do so. You make your own reality—or you do not. And if you do not, then you are everywhere a victim, and the universe must be an accidental mechanism appearing with no reason. So that the miraculous picture you have seen of your body came accidentally into creation, and out of some cosmic accident attained its miraculous complexity. And that body was formed so beautifully for no reason except to be a victim.

That is the only other alternative to forming your own reality. You cannot have a universe in between. You have a universe formed with a reason, or a universe formed without a reason. And in a universe of reason, there are no victims. Everything has a reason, or nothing has a reason.

You have focused so strongly upon physical reality that it becomes the only reality that you know. And you could admit only to those things you could see, smell, touch, or hear; and in so doing, you could only appreciate a third of yourself. Your concepts of personhood are now limiting you personally and en masse, and yet your religions, metaphysics, histories, and even your sciences are hinged upon your ideas of who and what you are.

Your psychologies do not explain your own reality to you. They cannot contain your experience. Your religions do not explain your greater reality, and your sciences leave you just as ignorant about the nature of the universe in which you dwell. You are part of institutions and disciplines that are composed of individuals, each restrained by limiting ideas about your OWN private reality; and so it is with private reality that you will begin and always return, period.

This life is only one of many that we live in a variety of times and places. The experiences--both pleasant and distressful--which we encounter are no more real than a dream and appear within our lives as educational devices to demonstrate the consequences of our actions. Because the essence of the universe is love, we are safe and taken care of now and through eternity. We have on-going access to information about the nature of reality and our personal lives, but we must use our conscious minds to evaluate this information and to make decisions. You create your own difficulties. This is true for each individual. The inner psychological state is projected outward, gaining physical reality -whatever the psychological state may be. You cannot escape your own attitudes, for they will form the nature of what you see. If changes are to occur, they must be mental and psychic changes. These will be reflected in your environment. Negative, distrustful, fearful, or degrading attitudes toward anyone work against the self

Using your free will, you have made physical reality into something quite different than what was intended. You have allowed the ego to become overly developed and specialized. You were here to work out problems and challenges, but you were always to be aware of your own inner reality, and of your nonphysical existence. To a large extent you have lost contact with this.

The entire complex social world rests however on strong probable relationships, and the power behind civilizations rests upon a great unconscious rapport, and is built upon, in any given present, future and past, personal and social relationships.

Each of you who have the opportunity to share with another then know that is grace, and be thankful for that which you experience, and do not underestimate what you have. You can know each other in each life a brief time. What joy and comfort you can give, then give. What support you can render, render. Do you realize that by doing this you become more than you think you are?

In the dawn of physical existence, men knew that death was merely a change of form. What you call death is rather your choice to focus in other dimensions and realities. Death is greatly misunderstood as being the end of it all, of coming too soon. Death always seems to be something just out of your understanding, responsibility, control and power. This is completely inaccurate. Death is a transformation. Transformation from one way of being into another. A death is just a night to your soul.

No man or woman consciously knows for sure which day will be the last for him or her in this particular life, that each calls the present one. Mortality with its birth and death is the framework in which the soul, for now, is expressed in flesh. It seems, perhaps, easier to have no conscious idea of the year or time that death might occur. Unconsciously of course each man and woman knows, and yet hides the knowledge.

The knowledge is usually hidden for many reasons, but the fact of death, rsonal death, is never forgotten. It seems obvious, but the full enjoyment of life would be impossible in the framework, now, of earthly reality without the knowledge of death. And many who die young (is your choice after all for the experience) may hold the strong belief that old age represents a degradation of the spirit and an insult to the body. Slow death in a hospital or an experience with an illness or disease would be unthinkable to these same people. Life and death are but two faces of your eternal, ever changing existence, however feel and appreciate the joy of your own being. Many live into their nineties without ever appreciating to that extent the beauty of their being.

Whether you die today or tomorrow, you have lived before, and will again, and your new life, in your terms, springs out of the old, and is growing in the old and contained within it as the seed is already contained within the flower. Each of you survives death. But the main idea is the affirmation that the physical being, the self you know, is not annihilated with death

No one "dies" before his or her time. The choice , manner and time of death iare always yours. When the soul is ready to release the body, when it has accomplished what it came here to do, it moves on.

Energy is the basis of the universe.
Energy is consciousness: that is to say, mind is inherent in all matter from the elementary particle to the human. The universe is constructed from mental activity and from all consciousness. All conscious gestalts are constrained by their level of development but
willingly cooperate to create a consensus reality. In the simplest terms, all is energy, energy is consciousness, and all cooperate for the development of all. You each have the same energy, and it sings within your being. You need not be shy of it. It is your own! You need not look to gurus, or gods, it dwells within you! As easily and miraculously as a flower grows or as a hair grows out of your skull or as a thought rises from your brain, that energy resides within you. That energy is your own -your own divinity rests within it. The bridge ways that you form and that all of you know are made of this vitality. In silence it grows and is nurtured, but it is not of itself quiet. It is vigorous and it is not afraid of quiet. It forms you. Get on good terms with it and do not deny it.

In this physical existence you are learning how to handle the inexhaustible energy that is available to you. Some of your feelings and thoughts are translated into objects. These exist in a medium you call space. Others are translated into events that exist in a medium you call time. Both of the concepts of space and time are illusions. They exist only in the physical realm. Since you are a part of "being," then you in effect give yourself the life that is being lived through you. While physical, while you are in the flesh, you are a portion of nature therefore, not apart from it. You can not strive to be above nature, and still be yourself.

You do not acquire a 'spirit' at death. You are one, now! You adopt a body as a scuba diver wears a scuba diving suit or a space traveler wears a space suit, and for much the same reason. A spirit is a soul that's still here on earth without its casing or body. An energy is not a spirit. It's a residue of a large amount of energy left behind upon the death of a person. Let's say a person is about to be murdered, his fear, panic, anger and other emotions blasts out from his body until he really get killed which releases a vast energy around that area he died at. Now, a psychic or a person who can feel energy would be able to sometimes see the event happening again, but the spirit is not really there. The easiest way to give a difference is that a spirit does not really repeat its actions, while an energy will repeat its actions. And this is sometimes called the “ghost energy”. You need to appease this in order for it to let go of that area.

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UPDATE 1 19th Nov 06; 17:45pm

ROLES Of Consuls in Makaysia
Spotlight: More than just an honorary profession
19th Nov 2006

Few would have heard of honorary consuls before media reports on the recent murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. But Mongolian representative in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman al-Habshi, changed this when he came into the picture. Who are these people and what do they do? Do they enjoy diplomatic privileges like ambassadors and high commissioners? Are they paid by the governments they represent? Honorary consuls-general are Malaysians appointed by foreign governments which do not have diplomatic missions in the country, like Greece, Panama and, of course, Mongolia. Consuls-general are foreign nationals appointed to head a diplomatic mission in countries where their nation does not have an embassy or high commission. Honorary consuls are those appointed by countries with missions in Kuala Lumpur but needing someone to handle their affairs outside the federal capital. SARBAN SINGH, SULOK TAWIE, AUDREY DERMAWAN and PHUAH KEN LING talk to some of these special diplomats.
Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman al-Habshi,
honorary consul-general of Mongolia. LIFE changed overnight for the honorary consul-general of Mongolia in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman al-Habshi, after the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu came to light. He has been sought after day and night by Malaysian and foreign journalists for the latest on the case. His phone has not stopped ringing and he is also the target of photographers. "Before this case, there was one case involving a Mongolian student who died in a hit and run accident this year," said Syed Abdul Rahman. "I had to make arrangements to send the body back."

A businessman, Syed Abdul Rahman has been serving the Mongolian government for 10 years, and "looking after" close to 400 Mongolians in Malaysia, the majority being students. "I am proud to have been able to help Mongolians in Malaysia," said Syed Abdul Rahman, whose appointment is reviewed every two years. On most occasions, Syed Abdul Rahman uses his own money to help Mongolians who run into problems here.

"If they are caught for some offence, we need to get them released immediately, put them up in a hotel or bring them to my house and arrange for their meals. "Since we can’t wait for the money to come from Mongolia, the responsibility falls on us." In return, the Mongolian government would send him letters of commendation. Despite these shortcomings, Syed Abdul Rahman is happy to continue serving the country of 2.7 million. "They accord me respect for what I do and I do not mind helping them out whenever my services are required," he said. Among Syed Abdul Rahman’s duties are the issuances of visas to visit Mongolia. He issues about 10 visas annually, mostly to Americans and Indians.

[…]

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar on honorary consuls

Q: Who can qualify to be a honorary consul? A: It is really up to the country wishing to make the appointment. But, usually, these are people with some standing in society, such as successful businessmen.

Q: Do honorary consuls get similar privileges accorded to high commissioners and ambassadors? A: They don’t enjoy diplomatic immunity. They are our citizens and are subject to Malaysian law.

Q: Is the ministry’s consent sought before an appointment is made? A: There is no need for this. They normally ask us for a background check to see if the person has a criminal record or is a bankrupt.

Q: Why would one want to be a honorary consul? A: It is an honour to be a representative of a foreign country here. That is all. Their cars will bear the crest or some insignia of the country. They represent the interest of the country.

Q: What benefits do honorary consuls appointed by the Malaysian government overseas get?
A: Apart from the privilege, nothing much, actually. These people do not get salaries. To them, it is an honour to be our representative.

Update Sunday, 19th Nov 2006; 9:30am

FRIENDLY REMINDER – NO MORE Comments from MEDIA (including Blogs?????)

The deputy Internal Security Minister Dato’ Fu Ah Kiow called on the Media and the public to refrain from making any coments as the murder case has now gone to the courts, it would be subjudice;

“When the case is heard in the court, any comments made or materials published about the case can be subjudice. I advice people not to make comment or it can be contempt of court”.

But within the 4 walls of the homes and in the kpitams (coffee shops) is OK as long as the views are not published or recorded for viewing.?? But this gag order is for the local media and publishers. What about the foreign ones? News of the details are filtering out slowly to the world and in the blogsphere as there is still a relentless search for “Altantuya” and “Abdul Razak Baginda
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Fu: Stop carrying stories on murder, STAR Sunday 19 Nov 06

PUTRAJAYA: The Internal Security Ministry has warned publications not to carry any news on investigations into the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu now that the case has gone to court. Deputy Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said it would be an act of contempt of court if there were any more news on the investigations and the people involved. “I still see some magazines running stories on the case. The story may have been finalised before the case was brought to court, but I hope now there should be no more of such news,” he said after attending the ministry’s Hari Raya and Deepavali open house here yesterday.

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Update
18th Nov 2006; 14:30pm

Don't make defamatory statements, says counsel;18 Nov 2006; NST

KUALA LUMPUR: The counsel representing the two policemen in the murder trial of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu has urged the public and Press to refrain from making any statement regarding the case. This came after political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda’s wife, Mazlinda Makhzan publicly said that her husband was innocent, before he was brought to the magistrate’s court here on Thursday.

Counsel Shaun Tan Kee Shaan, in a statement, urged Abdul Razak’s counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to advise Mazlinda not to make such statements, claiming that it was sub judice. "Any party who breaches the sub judice principle in publishing facts of the case, made orally or in writing, before they are proven in court, can be charged for criminal defamation."

Mazlinda was reported to have told reporters: "Others killed the woman. Why put it on my husband?" On Tuesday, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were charged with Altantuya’s murder at the Shah Alam magistrate’s court, while Abdul Razak was charged with abetting, at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court.
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'Proof must be beyond reasonable doubt'; NST 18th Nov 06

And such proof must be beyond reasonable doubt, said lawyers who were asked about the charge of abetting in a murder. Lawyer Akhbardin Abdul Kader said the prosecution would have to prove that the person charged had assisted in the commission of the crime. "The prosecution will have to rely heavily on the testimony of witnesses to prove this. "In proving that someone abetted in a crime, they will have to show that he had expedited the commission of the crime," he said. Criminal lawyer M. Manoharan said, usually, to prove a charge of abetting, the accused would have to be seen at the crime scene together with the principal offender. He cited the case of the murder of Hasleza Ishak, second wife of the Raja di-Hilir Perak as an illustration. Carpenter Sabaruddin Non, fisherman J. Manimaran and bomoh Mat Saad Mat Isa were charged with the murder of Hazleza in October 2002. Another bomoh, Rahim Ismail, and palace aide Tengku Aristonsjah Mohamed Ansary were charged with abetting in the crime. Mat Saad pleaded guilty midway in the trial and turned prosecution witness. He was given 14 years jail. The others had their charge reduced to culpable homicide and were given the maximum 20 years jail. The Federal Court allowed the appeal of Aristonsjah and Rahim as they were not at the crime scene. "We must always remember that the accused remains innocent until proven guilty. “He must be given the benefit of the doubt," said Manoharan.

Lawyer V. Visvanathan said the defence team faced a hurdle as it had no privilege to look at the evidence procured by the prosecution. "In the United States, they have pre-trial disclosure, but here the prosecution need not disclose whatever evidence they have to the defence team," he said. In relation to Abdul Razak’s case, he said, the prosecution would have to rely on circumstantial evidence. "They will have to piece together the hours when Altantuya was last seen alive. "They will have to trace her movements and they will have to prove a motive for the accused to commit the crime. "This is where DNA, photographic evidence and such comes in," he said. Additionally, the prosecution would have to show a clear chain of events which linked the accused to the crime, said Manoharan. "If there is a weak link in the chain, then the accused may escape from the charge. But this depends on the circumstances of the case."
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Just a backroom boy, until 2 weeks ago;

Although he was known as a political analyst and someone who appeared on television talk shows, Abdul Razak Baginda was just another intellectual to most Malaysians, until two weeks ago when his name was linked to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. Now, his name is on everyone’s lips.
Who is this man who has suddenly been thrust into the limelight and charged with abetting in the murder of a foreign woman?
Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh, chief executive officer of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, described Razak as a brilliant writer, a good analyst and very professional in his work.
"
He is also an eloquent speaker and an easy person to get along with." Yeoh, who has worked with Razak on a number of occasions, said Razak was a pleasant man to work with. "We are very shocked and saddened by all that has happened," Yeoh added. Razak has been married for more than 20 years to Mazlinda Makhzan, a lawyer. They have a teenage daughter, Roweena.
He was born in
Kuala Lumpur to Datuk Abdullah Malim Baginda and Datin Rohana Abdullah. He is the youngest of three siblings. He started his education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Kuantan and went on to attend St John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur. He then enrolled in the City of London Polytechnic for a bachelor’s degree in politics and government. Razak returned in 1982 and became a tutor in social sciences with Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now Universiti Putra Malaysia). He also obtained a Master’s in War Studies from King’s College. Upon his return in 1984, he again taught social sciences at UPM before being appointed the head of strategic and international studies at the Armed Forces Defence College in 1988. He left in 1993 to set up the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, where he has since served as executive director.
Razak is a member of the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Global Leaders for Tomorrow as well as a member of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has written numerous books on politics, economics, defence and international relations and his articles have appeared frequently in local newspapers.

(see a comment in Part 2)
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Family bids tearful farewell; 18 Nov 2006; Fadhal Ilahi Abd Ghani;NST

KUALA LUMPUR: Amid chants from three Buddhist monks ringing through a secondary jungle, Altantuya Shaariibuu’s family members bade her a tearful farewell yesterday. Her father, Shaariibuu Setev, performed the last rites, looking stoic at times, but frequently breaking down throughout the hour-long ceremony, covering his face with his hands or sobbing silently into a handkerchief. Standing by were two of his nieces, Nirmaa Gerelmaa @ Amy and Ochir, hiding their grief behind large sunglasses. Altantuya was Shaariibuu’s eldest child and like any father, his grief was evident. More so, as there was no body to perform the last rites on. Altantuya’s body was blown to bits by explosives after she was shot. What remained of the stunning woman were only bone fragments which are still in the mortuary. The prayer offering to "appease" Altantuya’s soul was held at the spot in the jungle in Puncak Alam where her body was believed to have been blown up. This was the family’s first visit to the spot, a month after her murder, which also robbed two young boys back in Mongolia of their mother. Shaariibuu, 56, went about the ceremony oblivious to the sobbing of his nieces or the clicking of cameras from some 20 media representatives.

He brought several of his daughter’s personal belongings including her photograph, passport, wallet, diary and several of her favourite food including bottles of milk and sweets. He also had two sashes which he had brought along from Mongolia. One was blue which symbolised prosperity and health. He tied that to a tree nearby which caught the brunt of the explosion. The other sash, which was white, had ancient Mongolian scripture writing on it. It was laid on the ground and Altantuya’s photograph as placed on it alongside a candle. The three monks from the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Jalan Berhala, Brickfields, led Shaariibuu through the ceremony.

Chief monk K. Dhammaratana said the ceremony was to appease Altantuya’s soul and to ensure her spirit would have a place in heaven. He said that for almost a month, Altantuya’s spirit had been restless. The family members were accompanied by honorary consul of Mongolia Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi and two policemen from Kuala Lumpur. After the ceremony, the family expressed their satisfaction with the speed with which the investigations were carried out by police.

Breaking her silence for the first time after her cousin was abducted and murdered, Amy said she was grateful for the support they have been getting. Amy and Ochir had accompanied Altantuya from Mongolia early last month. Speaking through Syed Abdul Rahman, she revealed that they were under protective custody at the consulate after reporting Altantuya’s disappearance. Syed Abdul Rahman said Shaariibuu was still in shock over the loss of his daughter. He said the father still could not accept that his daughter had met with such a gory end. Shaariibuu, who is the director of the Centre for Information and Education at the National University of Mongolia, apparently told the consul general that:


"God is watching everything." The family is expected to return to Mongolia within the next few days with Altantuya’s remains but said they would return to visit the site and if they are required to testify in the murder trial. Shaariibuu’s wife allegedly suffered a stroke when she heard of her daughter’s murder. She is recuperating in Mongolia. Their grandsons are with them. Altantuya’s murder had grabbed headlines here and in her country for the past two weeks after details of her murder were highlighted. She was said to be a businesswoman who was also a Russian translator. In an earlier interview, Shaariibuu had said that she had her own business, a house and a car in Ulan Bator. Media reports stated she came to Malaysia to look for political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda whom she met two years ago. She allegedly hired a private investigator to track Razak while the latter was said to have engaged a security consultant to keep her away from him and his family. She was reported missing on Oct 19 by her cousins. Her remains were then found in the secondary jungle on Nov 7. On Wednesday, two policemen — Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar from the Special Action Squad — were charged with her murder. On Thursday, Razak was charged with abetting them.

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Update
18th Nov 2006; 01:55am
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ABOVE: Left Altantuya's Father, Amy (centre) & Consul Abdul Rahman (right)

BUDDHIST RITES at the Murdered Scene; The family of the murdered Altantuya together with Buddhist Monks conducted rites at the crime scene to "appease her spirits"

ABOVE & BELOW: Three Buddhist monks from the Buddhist Maha Veehara, Jalan Berhala in Brickfields and led by chief monk Ven. K. Dhammanaratana performaing the rituals.

Altantuya's Father Chokes In Tears During Final Ritual; November 17, 2006 19:17 PM FINAL RITUAL… Three Buddhist monks offering prayers at the site where bits and pieces of Altantuya Shaaribuu remains were found three weeks ago. SHAH ALAM, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Even the birds could have stopped chirping when family members of Altantuya Shaariibuu immersed themselves in silence at the Subang Dam, Puncak Alam, here Friday to offer prayers at the site where bits and pieces of her remains were found three weeks ago. Altantuya, the Mongolian teacher and part time model was said to have been shot and later blown to pieces with explosives at the site almost a month ago.

Her father, Shaaribuu Setev, 56, emotionally-stricken by the incident choked in tears as he witnessed the ritual carried out by three Buddhist monks from the Buddhist Maha Veehara, Jalan Berhala in Brickfields and led by chief monk Ven. K. Dhammanaratana. Shaaribuu, who was constantly wiping off his tears with a handkerchief was among 20 people including journalists and policemen who witnessed the hour-long ritual that started at 1pm. Also present were Altantuya's cousins Burmaa @ Amy and Ochir. The family members who were escorted by police in a blue coloured Pajero from the Kuala Lumpur police contingent arrived at the site at about 12.45 pm.

They brought along with them her personal belongings including her picture and offered her soul some of her favourite food which included titbits and tea from Mongolia. At the end of the ritual, Dhammanaratana said the prayer was to put to rest the spirit of the departed and to ensure her spirit be placed among the good ones in heaven. "For more than three weeks, her spirit (Altantuya's) has not been resting in peace. We believe by conducting this ritual, she will be reborn with health and wealth," he said. Said to be a stunning beauty, Altantuya flew from Ulan Bator to Malaysia on Oct 6 together with her sister and a cousin in search of a man said to be her lover. When she went missing on Oct 19, her sister and cousin lodged a police report and later sought help from the Mongolian Embassy in Bangkok. Investigations later led police to the dam site where some blown up body parts were found. DNA tests confirmed the remains were Atlantuya's.

Following an intensive investigation, a prominent political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda was Thursday charged with abetment in her murder in the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's court, under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with Section 302 of the same code. He faces the mandatory death sentence, if convicted. The analyst, who is said to be romantically linked to the 28 year-old Altantuya, allegedly abetted two police personnel from the Special Action Force (UTK), Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, who were charged with her murder in the Shah Alam Magistrate's court a day earlier. Meanwhile, the Honorary Consul of Mongolia in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi said only a father knows the agony of losing a daughter and the children of losing their mother. Altantuya's two sons are now staying with her (Altantuya) mother in Mongolia's capital Ulam Bator.

"Shaariibuu is still in a state of shock and grief due to the incident. He told me God is watching everything... but let him rest first," Syed Abdul Rahman told reporters after the ceremony. On Altantuya's remains, he said the family have yet to decide on when to bring her remains back to Mongolia for a formal burial. He also said Shaariibuu was prepared to be a prosecution witness for the trial if the authority needed his assistance during the trial of Abdul Razak and the two UTK members later.
"
Shaariibuu told me that he was pleased with the swift action of the police in solving the case and he personally leaves it to the court to decide," he said.

Shaariibuu and his three relatives will depart for Mongolia in a week's time
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Update 17th Nov 2006; 20:45pm

Razak Baginda's Case To Be Mentioned On Nov 23 At The High Court; November 17, 2006 18:12 PM KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- The High Court registrar fixed Nov 23 for mention of the case involving political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who has been charged with abetting in the gruesome murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Saariibuu. A court official said the case would be mentioned before Justice Datuk Abdul Kadir Musa on Thursday. Razak is expected to enter his plea on that day. Razak, 46, was charged at the magistrate court here on Thursday of abetting C/Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, to commit the crime, which ended with the body of the 28-year old Altantuya being blown to bits with explosives. He was alleged to have committed the offence between 9.54am and 11.05am on Oct 18 at Level 10, Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang. He was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code read together with section 302 of the same code. If convicted, Razak will be sentenced to death. Azilah and Sirul from the Special Action Unit (better known as Unit Tindakan Khas) were charged at the Shah Alam magistrate court on Wednesday of killing Altantuya in Shah Alam.
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Razak's wife causes stir in court; S. Tamarai Chelvi and Llew-Ann Phang


S.Tamarai Chelvi and Llew-Ann Phang, from S U N
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16, 2006): Speculation surrounding the involvement of a prominent political analyst in the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu ended today when Abdul Razak Abdullah - better known as Abdul Razak Baginda - was charged with abetting two policemen in the crime. Abdul Razak, 46, who is the executive director of Malaysia Strategic Research Centre (MSRC) was charged with abetting Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and PC Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, in killing Altantuya, 28. Clad in a long-sleeved blue shirt and black pants, a fragile-looking and dishevelled Abdul Razak with stubble on his chin entered the courtroom at
12.45pm. His wife of 20 years, former magistrate Mazlinda Mahkzan, hugged him and his 19-year-old daughter kissed him on the cheek when he was led to the dock. Proceedings began at 12.50pm when the charge was read out by an interpreter who asked Abdul Razak if he understood it. Abdul Razak remained silent but upon being asked a second time, he nodded.

However, no plea was recorded. Magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani then transferred the case to the High Court upon the application of DPP Salehuddin Saidin, after checking with Abdul Razak's lawyer Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who had no objection. It it learned that in the High Court, the prosecution will apply for the case to be transferred to the High Court in Shah Alam for a joint trial with Azilah and Sirul. On Wednesday, the two policemen were charged with the murder of Altantuya somwhere between Lot 12843 and Lot 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja in the Petaling district, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20. When proceedings ended, a man identified as Abdul Razak's brother told him: "Be strong , you will get through this" before breaking down. Mazlinda, hugged him again before he was led out of court, through the tunnel leading to the holding cells. Events of the past two days bring to a climax a case which has gripped the nation and hogged media headlines for two weeks.

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KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16, 2006): The ground floor of the Jalan Raja courthouse was abuzz with activity today with hordes of journalists, photographers and TV cameramen awaiting the arrival of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda. Some of the group of 30 were there even before
8am to look out for Abdul Razak, 46, and his family members. At 9.55am, Abdul Razak's wife, Mazlinda Makhzan, arrived dressed in a black pants-suit and white shirt, closely accompanied by their 19-year-old daughter, who wore a cream-coloured jacket over a white shirt and a beige flare-skirt. They were often spotted holding hands while walking with other family members - Abdul Razak's parents, brother, sister and friends who had arrived five minutes earlier. As the photographers and cameramen crowded raround them, Mazlinda said: "Razak is innocent, please pray." When Abdul Razak's brother had his picture taken by a cameraman, he chided: "Enough already!" Just before 11am, members of the family sat on a bench in front of the lawyers' room waiting for chief counsel Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to arrive. Soon after, counsel M. Puravelan led Mazlinda, Abdul Razak's daughter and his parents into Court 8. Family members and friends filled half the courtroom. Inside, Mazlinda made her way to the lawyer's bench and was seen whispering to Muhammad Shafee. In the back, her daughter said: "I'll sit with my mum," to which one of the lawyers responded, "No, no, you can't. That place is for lawyers only." Moments later, Mazlinda lost her composure and told the reporters in the courtroom: "He's innocent. He's a good man, you know? Don't do this to him at his expense ... (It's) his life! "Sampai hati (you all) buat macam ni (How can you all do this?). Why (do you) want to put it on my husband?" she lamented. "Seronok boleh jual cerita! Seronok ya? (You're happy you can sell stories! Happy, aren't you?)," Mazlinda said before taking a seat next to a court policeman, saying: "I want to sit next to this policeman. If we cannot trust them, then who can we trust?" Family members and friends tried to hush Mazlinda and pleaded for her to calm down. Puravelan lent her a shoulder and a few minutes later, led her to where her parents-in-law and daughter were seated. Mazlinda's hands were trembling as she muttered: "So bad! Kekejaman (Cruelty) ... kekejaman, kekejaman!" while fiddling with her handphone. Meanwhile, Abdul Razak's brother was sniffling and looked away as he wiped a tear from his eye.
While awaiting the arrival of DPP Salehuddin Saidin, Mazlinda took a 20-minute break, with another counsel. At
12.27pm, Abdul Razak's family and Pressmen rushed out of courtroom 8 upon learning that the case was taking place at the Criminal Magistrate's Court (3). At 12.50pm after which, the family walked into Wisma Kraftangan - about 500m away. Just after 2pm, Shafee and and the family members emerged from court. Abdul Razak's parents boarded a silver-coloured Mercedes-Benz, parked alongside the court while Mazlinda and their daughter got inside a dark-maroon Estima. When asked if she believed if her father was innocent, she said: "Yes, he is very innocent." Shafee told journalists he met his client for 10 minutes and explained court proceedings to him. To a question on how his client is faring, he said: "He is not well."
Shafee declined to elaborate on the case other than saying that Abdul Razak had being charged with abetment to murder to which the penalty is mandatory death.

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Altantuya murder case: Emotions spill over as Razak is charged
17 Nov 2006; Hafiz A. Yatim ; NST

KUALA LUMPUR: Abdul Razak Baginda looked dazed and confused. Not surprising, as the political analyst faces the death penalty if found guilty of abetting in the murder of a Mongolian citizen. The look of disbelief on his face as he was brought to the magistrate’s court here at 12.35pm yesterday showed that he had not expected to be charged. After about two weeks of speculation and rumours, Razak, 46, was charged with abetting two elite policemen in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. It was reported that she was shot twice, execution style, before her body was blown up by explosives. Police recovered bone fragments — believed to belong to Altantuya — from a secondary forest in Puncak Alam on Nov 7. Yesterday, it was clear that even his family members had not expected him to be charged. At one point, Razak’s wife, Mazlinda Makhzan, lost her cool and shouted at journalists before the case started. "My husband is innocent," she repeatedly protested, blaming others for the killing. She had to be calmed by family members and Razak’s lawyers. Razak, who is the executive director of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, was arrested on Nov 7 and had been in remand since. He was brought to the court complex in a Black Maria at 11.15am and taken to the lock-up. Soon after, Kuala Lumpur court complex police beat head Deputy Superintendent Zulkifli Othman was seen going inside the lock-up and explaining to Razak that he was to be charged. After Razak calmed down, he was taken to the packed courtroom in handcuffs. The court was filled with local and foreign journalists and Razak’s family members. Razak, who was wearing a long-sleeve light blue shirt and dark pants, immediately hugged his brother Dr Rani Abdullah, who said: "Be strong, you will get through this." His brother, who had earlier scolded reporters and photographers, was seen crying after hugging him. Mazlinda also held her husband firmly, whispering words of encouragement. Razak’s parents, Datuk Abdullah Malim Baginda and Datin Rohana Abdullah, were also present. As he entered the dock, counsel M. Puravalen was seen explaining the charge against him. Razak continued to look in disbelief. Razak’s daughter, Roweena, 19, was seen signalling to her father that she loved him. She also signalled to him to be strong. Razak, or Abdul Razak Abdullah, of Damansara Heights, was then charged under Section 109, read with Section 302, of the Penal Code with abetting Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar in murdering Altantuya. He is alleged to have committed the offence at his office on the 10th floor of Bangunan Getah Asli, No 148, Jalan Ampang between 9.54am and 11.05am on Oct 18. When magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani asked if he understood the charge against him, Razak nodded. He then turned to look at Mazlinda. Azilah and Sirul, both with the Special Action Squad, were jointly charged with Altantuya’s murder at the Shah Alam magistrate’s court on Wednesday. They too face the death penalty if found guilty. They were charged with murdering the woman between Lot 12843 and Lot 16735, Bukit Raja in the Petaling district between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20. The prosecution in the case on Wednesday was led by two senior Deputy Public Prosecutors from Putrajaya — head of the Classified Cases Unit Salehuddin Saidin and head of the General Crimes and Sexual Unit Noorin Badaruddin. That case was fixed for mention on Dec 14 at the Shah Alam High Court. Yesterday, Salehuddin applied for Razak’s case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court. Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Razak, said he had no objections. Aizatul allowed the prosecution’s application. However, no date was set for mention. Razak hugged his wife before leaving for the court lock-up. Salehuddin later told reporters the prosecution was likely to make an application for a joint trial of the three men. Reporters were at the courthouse long before 8am. Razak’s family members began arriving from 9.20am. When Shafee arrived about 11am, he went to the Sessions 3 courtroom, with reporters trailing behind. He then disappeared only to reappear later in the Malaysian Bar Council room below where Razak’s family waited. He then went into the Magistrate 8 courtroom where the case had originally been scheduled. Razak’s family and pressmen followed him. It was there that Mazlinda became emotional. It started when she asked a reporter from an English daily where she (the reporter) was from. When the reporter replied, Mazlinda, also a lawyer, lost her cool, asking why the Press was reporting "all this". "My husband is innocent. My husband is a good man. He supported me, and protected me, why are you writing all these stories about him?

"He is not out to become the prime minister. Why are they doing this to him?" she cried. Mazlinda repeatedly said her husband had not killed Altantuya and that others had done it. "Why put it on my husband? "How could you all do this to him?" she asked, adding that the media was sensationalising the case for profit. Roweena, who was seated, was heard saying: "Mother, calm down and sit down." That was when someone said the case would be heard in the Magistrate 3 courtroom, and everyone trooped there. Asked later about his meeting with Razak, Shafee said: "We met with Razak for 10 minutes to explain court procedures. "I do not know when is the next date. We have to wait for the next court proceedings." Shafee said Razak was not well as a result of a chest infection. He declined to discuss the case. Puravalen said Razak was shocked when he was told that he would be charged. "Razak could not believe it," he added. Altantuya’s murder made the headlines, with all manner of speculation about the motive. She was said to have met Razak two years ago. Altantuya’s father, Shaariibuu Setev, is in Kuala Lumpur with a small group of relatives and friends to assist in the investigation. They brought with them blood samples from Altantuya’s mother for DNA tests.

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Two private investigators re-arrested, remanded
17 Nov 2006 Alang Bendahara

KUALA LUMPUR: The two private investigators who were picked up by police to assist in the abduction and murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaaribuu have been re-arrested. They were picked up at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters contingent complex on Wednesday. CID director Datuk Christopher Wan Sook Kee confirmed the re-arrest. A seven-day remand order was obtained yesterday against the two from a magistrate. They are being investigated for kidnapping and criminal intimidation. They were arrested on Nov 8 as police investigated possible charges of abetting in the murder of Altantuya. However, they were released two days later. In a related development, the woman lance corporal, who could be the main prosecution witness in the murder trial of Altantuya, was freed on Wednesday on police bail, after being remanded for 14 days.

Police detained her and two other elite forces policemen while investigating the murder of the 28-year-old Mongolian business woman and translator.Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, of the Special Action Squad were charged with the murder of the Mongolian on Wednesday.

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Continue reading the Latest Update:(18th Nov 06)
From the horses' mouth Datuk Mansor: "I am still a muslim"
& Perak Mufti’s stories H e r e

or
MORE PICTURES & STORIES - DEMOLITION CHINESE TEMPLE in Penang Halted - Scuffle BROKE Out (APPEAL REMOVE Statues & Deities Refused); 2 Shots FIRED; SIX Arrested

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(21st Nov 8.40am) Read also Malaysia's Largest Heist at PENANG MAS KARGO; US12.7 M Chips & Parts H E R E)




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