MORE PICS & Video – Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Returns with Crew 15 Expedition in Soyuz TMA-10 – 21st Oct 07, 10:36 GMT

UPDATE: What did the Kelantan Menteri Besar said about our spaceman?


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Malaysiakini has the the landing report time stamped at 11.11am when the landing is at 6.43 pm. Obviously, their system clock is out of tuned and the Admin is not aware of it. The landing was off course a bit but right on target and estimated time

Sheikh Muszaphar returns to Earth Oct 21, 07 11:11am; Other Prime story on PPP

BN to study PPP’s quest for more seats Bede Hong | Oct 21, 07 4:17pm and

Kayveas: Don’t kill us off Bede Hong | Oct 21, 07 6:10pm with the

Malaysiakini-tv on Malik & his moment of terror

First Malaysian in space: Computer glitch sends Soyuz 340km off target

By : Anis Ibrahim reporting from Baikonur, NST

ANGKASAWAN Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor returned to Earth safely yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak (ABOVE) congratulated Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad after the Soyuz TMA-10 craft landed yesterday.

After spending 11 days in space, he was the second man to come out of the Soyuz TMA-10 craft after Fyodor Yurchikhin. The third person to emerge from the capsule was Oleg Kotov.

The Soyuz landed 340km west of the designated site at 6.37pm. Search and rescue plans were upgraded because of the ballistic entry of the Soyuz into the Earth's atmosphere. Yurchikhin reported that the ballistic entry was triggered by onboard computers, resulting in a steeper descent and, thus, the off-course landing. The spacecraft deviated from its intended landing spot after a problem during the descent. But it landed safely and the crew was unharmed, said Russian Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin. Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft. One helicopter was already on the ground when the Soyuz landed. Twenty minutes after landing, the crew was extracted from the craft. The medical team, which examined the crew, reported that they were in good health. Among those at the Mission Control Centre in Moscow keeping tabs on the Soyuz were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis. High-ranking officials from the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, including its director, Anatoli Perminov, were also present, together with Dr Muszaphar's parents, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor and Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad. Najib told a press conference that he and all Malaysians were happy that Dr Muszaphar had landed safely. "This is a very momentous and historic occasion for Malaysia. It will go down in the annals of our history because this is a first for Malaysia in space and he has returned safely. "The entire mission will be a landmark voyage for Malaysia." He expressed his gratitude to Perminov, Roscosmos, the Russian and Kazakhstan governments, Nasa, the European Space Agency and other organisations which supported the angkasawan project. "We have shown that this is a good example of an international collaborative mission. This space collaboration opens up many new opportunities in the future." He said Malaysia would undertake an in-depth study of the success of the mission, not only in terms of how the local man fared physically but also the scientific experiments carried out in space. "There are benefits we have reaped from the mission. The tangible benefits would be ascertained from our analysis of the scientific experiments conducted and results achieved and whether they would lead to commercialisation. "The intangible benefit is, as a nation, Malaysians feel very proud that we can stand a few inches taller now that we have had a Malaysian travel in space." Najib said he hoped the project would inspire present and future generations to strive for greater endeavours in all fields.
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Went up with Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft and came back with Soyuz TMA-10
Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, Soyuz Commander and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian Spaceflight Participant Sheikh Muzaphar Shukor were launched on a Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft on Oct. 10, 2007 at 9:22am ET from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to begin, what for Whitson and Malenchenko, will be a six-month mission on the International Space Station. Shukor will spend nine days on the space station, returning to Earth Oct. 21 in the Soyuz TMA-10 capsule with the Expedition 15 crew of Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov.

The ballistic decent for the Soyuz was much steeper than had planned and was initiated by the on-board computers. This resulted in the landing site being further away than the projected one (see Map below). One helicopter was within seconds after the touch down of Soyuz. In 16 minutes one crew was extracted out by the search team. All the 3 crew members then left the Soyuz vehicle and all of them were feeling fine

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ABOVE: OverallDimsnsions of the Soyuz Spacecraft: BELOW: Separation of the Spacecraft just before entry in to earth Atmosphere

= = ==BELOW: Reentry Capsule gets hot on entry to earth's atmosphere and is protected by the heat shield in front

Oct 21, 2007

Soyuz returns safely to Earth with Russians, M'sia's 1st space

ABOVE: The landing site in Karzarkhstan is further up than the "ballistic Landing Site" mention above and this is due to the steeper decent than planned and BELOW: deployment of the parachutes before hitting the ground

MOSCOW - A SOYUZ craft veered off its designated course Sunday while headed for its landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan but safely brought two Russian cosmonauts and Malaysia's first space traveler back to Earth, officials said. The landing capsule carrying Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, and Malaysian Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, deviated from its intended landing site after a technical glitch during the descent, Russia's Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said. However, it landed safely at 1036GMT (6.36pm Singapore time) - one minute ahead of schedule - and the crew was unharmed, he said.

ABOVE & BELOW: The Soyuz reentry Capsule. The Malaysian space participant was on the Right Seat and had a hard ‘soft landing’(see below)
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ABOVE: Sometimes the capsule can land on its side and BELOW:The reentry capsule, red represents the seats and our Malaysian tourist was on the right, with the Commander in the Center and the Flight Engineer on his left

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ABOVE: Russian Search & rescue amphibian vehicles BELOW: the portable antenna used to establish contact with reentry vehicle

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft, which landed just under 340 kilometres west of the designated landing site near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, NASA reported on its web site. It said all the three crew members were feeling fine.

ABOVE & BELOW: The reentry capsules final moments after crash impact
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ABOVE: Rescuers rolling over the reentry capsule to expose the hatch BELOW: Its Hatch is opened

= == == == == = = =BELOW: Malaysian spaceman explaining to the DPM Najib that he was dangling face downwards on his seat for nearly 20mins before he was rescued out

The spacecraft's descent deviated from the intended path apparently due to a computer glitch, and the crew were subjected to higher than normal gravity load on their descent, Mr Lyndin said. Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. Sheikh had been at the orbital outpost since Oct 12. – AP

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Sunday October 21, 2007; MYT 7:20:06 PM

Angkasawan safely back on Earth

MOSCOW: The Soyuz TMA-10 craft landed safely in Kazakhstan at 6.37pm Malaysian time. The Soyuz was carrying Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Russians - Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov.

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Sunday October 21, 2007

MYT 3:53:51 PM

Soyuz undocks from ISS for return to Earth

ABOVE: Russian Mission Control, The images of the returning cosmonauts on screen BELOW: Soyuz TM10 - after undocking from ISS

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ABOVE: NASA picture of Soyuz TMA- 10, 4.5 mins after undocking as seen from ISS; and BELOW: Moving away from ISS

MOSCOW: The Soyuz TMA-10 craft left its docking port at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday at 3.14pm (Malaysian time), starting a return trip to Earth with Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and two Russian cosmonauts. The capsule was to bring Dr Muszaphar, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov home in about three hours. Dr Muszaphar had been at the orbital outpost since Oct 12, while the two Russian cosmonauts had been there for six months.

ABOVE & BELOW: Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft 3-1/2 hrs to landing as seen from ISS

The Soyuz briefly fired thrusters to distance itself from the station after leaving its berth on schedule at 3.14pm (Malaysian time), said Valery Lyndin, spokesman for Russian Mission Control outside Moscow. It was scheduled to touch down about 85km north of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan at 6.37pm (Malaysian time), Lyndin said. Weather on the Kazakh steppe was chilly and mostly clear, with some clouds expected to roll in before landing time. Nasa television showed footage from the space station of the Soyuz, creeping along past the curve of the Earth. – AP

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Space Station Crew Back on Earth; 10.21.07

ISS015-E-34600 : Fyodor Yurchikhin, Oleg Kotov, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, the 15th crew of the International Space Station, landed safely in their Soyuz spacecraft at 6:36 a.m. EDT Sunday in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

ABOVE: Cosmonauts Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (right) and Oleg V. Kotov (center), Expedition 15 commander and flight engineer, respectively, representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor pose for a photo in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

A ballistic descent for the returning Soyuz resulted in a landing about 210 miles west of the nominal landing site. With Expedition 15 was a Malaysian flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, and spent almost nine days on the orbiting laboratory.

Yurchikhin, 48, wound up his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, finished his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson was a member of the E15 crew during the latter part of its increment. Anderson is scheduled to remain on the station for the first part of E16. He is scheduled to be replaced by Dan Tani, to arrive aboard Discovery on its STS-120 mission. Discovery will take Anderson back to Earth.

Tani, 46, holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was selected as an astronaut in 1996 and flew on Endeavour's STS-108 mission in December 2001. He will be making his second spaceflight.

Before closing the Soyuz-station hatches Sunday, Yurchikhin and Kotov said farewell to the E16 crew. Whitson and Malenchenko launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 10.

Whitson, 47, is on her second mission to the station. She served as a flight engineer on the Expedition 5 crew, launching June 5, 2002, and returning to Earth Dec 7, after almost 185 days in space. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston. She began working for NASA as a research biochemist in 1989 and was selected as an astronaut in 1996.

Malenchenko, 45, a Russian Air Force colonel, is making his third long-duration spaceflight. He spent 126 days aboard the Russian space station Mir beginning July 1, 1994, and commanded the two-person station crew on Expedition 7, spending 185 days in space beginning April 26, 2003. He also was a member of the STS-106 crew of Atlantis on an almost-12-day mission to the station beginning Sept. 8, 2000. He is a graduate of the Kharkov Military Aviation School and the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. Yurchikhin and Kotov will spend several weeks in Star City, near Moscow, for debriefing and medical examinations.

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The Expedition 15 crew members have returned home.

After bidding farewell to the Expedition 16 crew Saturday night, the Expedition 15 crew, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, boarded their Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft for the return to Earth. They undocked from the station around 3:14 a.m. EDT Sunday and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 6:36 a.m.

Joining Expedition 15 for the journey home was spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian (ABOVE, Left) flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, on Oct 12.

At a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon, the Expedition 15 crew formally handed over command of the station to Expedition 16. Accepting command of the station from Yurchikhin, Whitson remarked, "It's been a very impressive mission, and you guys have performed exceptionally." Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, who joined Expedition 15 in June, will remain onboard as a member of Expedition 16, until his replacement, astronaut Dan Tani, arrives on the STS-120 shuttle mission later this month.

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Space Station Crew Back on Earth; 10.21.07

ISS015-E-34600 : Fyodor Yurchikhin, Oleg Kotov, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, the 15th crew of the International Space Station, landed safely in their Soyuz spacecraft at 6:36 a.m. EDT Sunday in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Image above: Cosmonauts Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (right) and Oleg V. Kotov (center), Expedition 15 commander and flight engineer, respectively, representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; and Malaysian spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor pose for a photo in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA A ballistic descent for the returning Soyuz resulted in a landing about 210 miles west of the nominal landing site. With Expedition 15 was spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian flying under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). He arrived at the station with the Expedition 16 crew, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, and spent almost nine days on the orbiting laboratory.

Yurchikhin, 48, wound up his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.

Kotov, 41, finished his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson was a member of the E15 crew during the latter part of its increment. Anderson is scheduled to remain on the station for the first part of E16. He is scheduled to be replaced by Dan Tani, to arrive aboard Discovery on its STS-120 mission. Discovery will take Anderson back to Earth.

Tani, 46, holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was selected as an astronaut in 1996 and flew on Endeavour's STS-108 mission in December 2001. He will be making his second spaceflight.

Before closing the Soyuz-station hatches Sunday, Yurchikhin and Kotov said farewell to the E16 crew. Whitson and Malenchenko launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 10.

Whitson, 47, is on her second mission to the station. She served as a flight engineer on the Expedition 5 crew, launching June 5, 2002, and returning to Earth Dec 7, after almost 185 days in space. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rice University in Houston. She began working for NASA as a research biochemist in 1989 and was selected as an astronaut in 1996.

Malenchenko, 45, a Russian Air Force colonel, is making his third long-duration spaceflight. He spent 126 days aboard the Russian space station Mir beginning July 1, 1994, and commanded the two-person station crew on Expedition 7, spending 185 days in space beginning April 26, 2003. He also was a member of the STS-106 crew of Atlantis on an almost-12-day mission to the station beginning Sept. 8, 2000. He is a graduate of the Kharkov Military Aviation School and the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. Yurchikhin and Kotov will spend several weeks in Star City, near Moscow, for debriefing and medical examinations.

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Saturday October 20, 2007 MYT 8:20:46 PM

Angkasawan will have hard ‘soft landing’

By LISA GOH; STAR

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor landing on earth is being described as a “soft landing” but he is still going to feel quite a hard jolt upon impact. Retired Nasa astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson said although the term “soft landing” was being used, it was not going to be really soft.

He said a parachute would slow the spacecraft down, and a breaking rocket would fire just before touching the ground, there would still be a jolt when it touched the ground. “It is described as a ‘soft landing’, but it’s a fairly hard ‘soft landing’,” he said in an interview. The spacecraft would be descending at a speed of over 200m per second and parachutes would slow it down to about 20mps, he said. Breaking rockets would slow it down further to 2 to 3mps just before it hits the ground. The Soyuz spacecraft carrying Dr Sheikh Muszaphar will be undocking from the International Space Station at 3.15pm Malaysian time.

At 3.21pm, the Soyuz jets will be fired to begin departure from the ISS, and at about 5.50pm, Soyuz computers will initiate re-entry manoeuvres. At 6.20pm, the spacecraft will break into three modules – orbital, instrumentation, and descent. The crew will be in the descent module. At 6.23pm, the crew will feel the effects of gravity and parachutes will open. They are scheduled to land at 6.30pm in the swampy area of Arkylk in Kazakhstan. Helicopters and amphibious vehicles will pick them up.

“When Dr Sheikh comes back, he will have had an experience of a lifetime. He’s going to say, ‘I want to go again’. “And so we’re going to have to find another trip for him because, believe me, he’s not going to be satisfied with just going just once,” Gibson said.

October 19, 2007 22:32 PM

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Interesting Experiment By Malaysian Astronaut

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's first astronaut, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha today conducted five experiments in microgravity condition at the International Space Station (ISS).

ABOVE & BELOW: the spinning of the Malaysian traditional game gasing (top)

The first was the spinning of the Malaysian traditional game gasing (top), where he attached a string to a 95-gramme top made of aluminium and let it spin in mid-air in horizontal and vertical positions for less than a minute.

ABOVE & BELOW: second experiment, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar pressed a pack containing strawberry juice which came out within seconds in a jelly-like substance floating in mid-air.

In the second experiment, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar pressed a pack containing strawberry juice which came out within seconds in a jelly-like substance floating in mid-air. He later used a spoon to scoop the floating jelly and put it into his mouth.

ABOVE & BELOW: - third experiment involved the mixing of oil and water

The third experiment involved the mixing of oil and water in a square-shaped crystal box with the substances mixing well in microgravity condition. In normal situation oil floats on top of water. In his fourth experiment Dr Sheikh Muszaphar showed the audience on earth how a yo-yo would swing in microgravity condition. Under normal circumstances, a yo-yo goes up and down when in play but in microgravity condition, the yo-yo goes up, down and to the front as well. In his last experiment, he showed the differences in velocity of three alls of different sizes, travelling in microgravity. The balls appeared to have moved in slow motion during the experiment. The video conference about microgravity with the Malaysian astronaut was telecast live by Astro and watched by students brought specially to the National Science Centre here. It was also attended by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar and Deputy Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha.

During the 10-minute session, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar wore a short-sleeved batik shirt, the Jalur Gemilang hanging proudly in the background. Kong also asked Dr Sheikh Muszaphar what was his biggest challenge at the ISS. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar replied that it was sleeping in the same place like people would do on earth. He said he would sleep in one place and would find himself waking up the next day at a different place. Saying that he was doing well, the Malaysian astronaut also advised the students to study hard and show keen interest in science subjects. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Noh said the ministry would look into the possibility of introducing new subjects related to microgravity and space science.Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is scheduled to return to Earth on Oct 21 with two Russians astronauts, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov. The Soyuz TMA-11, which brought Dr Sheikh Muszaphar to the ISS with two other crew members, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct 10.

= = == BELOW: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar gets to bring back just 7kg of Junk load that includes, among others, six experiment kits.

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Sunday October 21, 2007

Angkasawan winds down experiments

MOSCOW: With one day to his return to earth, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has to do a lot of systematic packing of his cargo besides terminating the last three experiments. He gets to bring back just 7kg of load that includes six experiment kits, a kit containing 14 symbolic items, videotapes and camera flash card as well as 200g of his personal items.

But his videotape will be the last to go as his final packing and preparation to board the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft will be videotaped. Yesterday, he completed some documentation as well as motion perception experiment on his knee for the European Space Agency.

One of his activities on the ISS was videotaping his life in space such as how he brushed his teeth, shaved and prayed. “We reminded him to videotape this as Muslims will be keen to see how he conducted his prayers in space,” said head of the scientific team, Prof Dr A. Rahman A. Jamal. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar terminated the protein crystallisation, human umbilical vein endothilial cell (Huvec) and osteoblast experiments between 24 and eight hours to docking. He also had to ensure the cancer and microbe cells were fixated at 4 degrees centigrade to stabilise their gene components. The osteoblast and Huvec were kept at an optimum temperature of 37 degrees.

The experiment kits are labelled as urgent cargo while the kit with the symbolic items is not. Upon landing, the urgent cargo will be transported by National Angkasawan Programme technical committee member Prof Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman. Care and speed are required to preserve their results. The protein crystals will be sent straight to Osaka University for analysis with an ultra-sophisticated microscope while the osteoblast and Huvec will be brought to Russia’s Institute of Bio Medical Problems for analysis before being flown to Malaysia on Oct 27. The cancer and microbe cells will go straight to Malaysian laboratories.

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October 20, 2007 22:47 PM
Scientists Fear Impact Of Soyuz Landing On Science Specimens

From Abdul Rahman Ahmad
MOSCOW, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- A car crash. That is the force of the impact when the Soyuz TMA-10 capsule carrying Malaysian astronaut Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha lands tomorrow, causing concern among scientists on the effect it may have on the specimens of the space experiments. Life Sciences programme coordinator Prof Dr A. Rahman A. Jamal said this was because the specimens of the experiments conducted at the International Space Station (ISS), particularly on protein crystallisation, cannot withstand strong vibration as the crystals can crack and break. "We must ensure that the specimens from the bone cells have to be maintained at 30 degrees Celsius as they are live cells, and the cancer cells and bacteria at four degrees Celsius to ensure that the gene components in the cells remain stable. "

The protein crystals must be maintained at between four and 10 degrees Celsius lest they freeze in extreme cold. To overcome this, the specimens are placed in temperature-controlled containers," he told reporters here today. Prof Rahman said that to protect the specimens from strong vibration, the containers bearing them come with padding to absorb the vibration from the impact of the landing. "According to astronauts, the least impact we can expect is like that of a car crash and we pray that it will not have any effect on the specimens."

Prof Rahman is confident that the specimens would be safe as the containers bearing them would be placed under or behind the astronauts' seat, as advised by the Russian authorities. He praised Dr Sheikh Muszaphar for successfully conducting the experiments with ease although they were complicated, and this had impressed the Russians."The experiments on cancer cells, bone cells, bacteria and protein crystallisation will end at 4am tomorrow. The results of the experiments are much-awaited by the scientist community as conducting research in space is not easy," said Prof Rahman.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov are expected to land at 2.37pm (6.37pm Malaysian time) at Arkylk, Kazakhstan, after a journey of three hours and 23 minutes from the time the space capsule undocks from the ISS.Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had blasted into space on Oct 10 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, to become the first Malaysian in space. He had traveled with American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko in the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft. Whitson and Malenchenko will remain in the ISS for six months.

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It was a half-day trial as the morning witness was on medical.

Day 49 - Altantuya Murder Trial

Key witness down with dengue fever

R. Surenthira Kumar & Maria J. Dass, theSUN
DAY 49

ABOVE: Abdul Razak Baginda as seen on Day 49 Trial

SHAH ALAM (Oct 22, 2007): The Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial was derailed temporarily today morning after a key prosecution witness fell victim to suspected dengue fever. Lead Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah told judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin the prosecution’s 40th witness, chemist Shaari Desa, 40, would not be able to testify for at least a week due to his medical condition.

Shaari, the firearms and tool marks unit chief of the criminalistic section of the forensics division was supposed to continue with his testimony today and unveil the contents of the 69 envelopes and a parcel containing firearms, explosives, live bullets and casings and soil samples collected from the scene of the alleged crime. Today was the 49th day of the trial, which resumed after a 12-day break for Hari Raya. Mohd Zaki asked if the prosecution could continue by summoning the forensics police personnel to testify, but Tun Abdul Majid said since Shaari is a key witness, they would have to complete questioning the chemist before the forensics police could take to the witness stand.He said meantime, the previous witness, Chemistry department forensic division director J.Primulapathi (BELOW) would be called again to testify.

Tun Abdul Majid also told Mohd Zaki, another witness, a medical officer who is supposed to testify has been transferred to Penang. He added the prosecution is making arrangements to inform the medical officer to attend the hearing and that he will be a short witness. "We are not going to postpone the trial any longer and will continue with the other witnesses," Tun Abdul Majid told Mohd Zaki. Later, on being recalled, Primulapathi told the court he did not conduct a mutation study on the bone and tissue samples obtained from the crime scene to see if the samples were mutated. However he said if they were exposed to mutation as a result of nuclear radiation or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, the sequence would still be the same as they were all exposed together. "(However) from my experience, I don’t think they have been exposed," he said during re-examination by DPP Noorin Badaruddin. Primulapathi said he obtained a single source profile from the test he conducted and not a mixed profile. He said he would have obtained a mixed profile if the bones and flesh come from different sources but from the same scene of the crime. Primulapathi added that he did not at any stage of the experiment run into complexities or inability to interpret the DNA profile.

In reply to questions raised by Azilah’s lawyer Kuldeep Kumar (ABOVE) during cross examination on weather a person’s DNA sequence could be mutated, Primulapathi said this was possible if there was nuclear radiation or prolonged exposure to UV rays involved. "Some changes may appear in a person’s DNA sequence if he is exposed to these," he said adding that exposure does not change the entire sequence, just some minor changes on some parts of the DNA. Kuldeep also quizzed Primulapathi on weather he was told by a forensic pathologist in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) that there were non-human bones co-mingled with the human skeletal remains.
Kuldeep: On the conversation you had with Dr Shah (HKL forensic pathologist Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood), were you informed that the skeletal of human remains was co-mingled with one non-human bone?
Primulapathi: No
At the end of the re-examination judge Mohd Zaki Nd Yasin asked Primulapathi if his findings would have been affected if he had analysed other bones from the crime scene and found that they come from different sources.
Primulapathi: No, as the bones will be of different profile. "It will (only serve to) show that there is more than one person at the scene.

"Hearing continues tomorrow.

WHAT HAPPENED - Day 49
* The morning session of the trial was postponed as chemist Shaari Desa was down with suspected dengue fever.
* Chemistry department forensic division director J. Primulapathi was recalled to testify in the afternoon.

= = == = =and from Asian Sentinel - A Recap of the Trial so far of the Jig-saw puzzle?

Whatever Happened to Altantuya Shaariibuu?

Mat Salleh; 15 October 2007

Timid prosecution, long delays and avoiding a powerful witness in a sensational murder case raise questions about Malaysia’s judicial system. AltantuyaThe trial of Abdul Razak Baginda and two of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s bodyguards for the October 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu has been underway for 150 days with neither the prosecutors nor defense showing much appetite for an aggressive proceeding. The brutal demise of Abdul Razak’s jilted girlfriend, a freelance Mongolian translator, has been lost in a haze of procedural motions and delays. Critics of Malaysia’s judicial and political systems frequently point to the closeness of Abdul Razak and the two bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, to Najib.

The latter were part of the Special Action Squad, an elite team of bodyguards directly under Najib’s control, until they were arrested last November. Fewer than 50 days have been spent in court over the course of the five months since the trial began. As the trial resumed Oct. 10 after yet another lengthy delay, the prosecution said it had another 15 witnesses left to go with the 38 that have already appeared, leading one lawyer connected with the case to tell Asia Sentinel, “that is a huge number of prosecution witnesses to call, which I think is totally unnecessary.”

What began as gripping drama has devolved into grinding routine, and the Malaysian public has become increasingly bored with the trial. But it still remains one of the most spectacular trials in Malaysian history because of the gruesome execution of the beautiful 27-year-old woman, who was shot twice in the head and then had her body blown up with plastic explosives in a jungle clearing.
The foot-dragging and numbing technical proceedings have led to suspicions on the part of many that it is being deliberately delayed by the prosecution and the judiciary to lessen the eventual impact of an expected not-guilty verdict, although legal sources point out that Malaysia has no pre-trial discovery process, which means that in other jurisdictions time-consuming activities like the identification of evidence are concluded before the trial begins. But in the case at hand, suspicions have been heightened because of the politically well-connected defendant in a judicial system saddled with scandal, inefficiency and suspected collusion with government for nearly 20 years. The concerns emanate from a landmark event in 1988, when then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad sacked Tun Salleh Abbas, the highly respected Lord President of the Supreme Court, when the court refused to buckle under on government decisions.
Certainly, there are questions about the delays, including a one-week break in mid September for a judges’ conference and another while Abdul Razak Baginda went for treatment of an eye problem. In August, there was a three-week break to give lawyers on both sides time to handle other cases. There have been lengthy trials-within-trials while prosecutors and defense attorneys squabbled over the admissibility of evidence. Most of last week was taken up with a debate on DNA evidence.
“In civil cases this is the usual thing,” the lawyer said. “But I am surprised that it has gone on this long. I don’t think we have had this kind of factual circumstance in a criminal trial in Malaysia’s legal history.” The bodyguards accused of pulling the trigger, Azilah and Sirul, are alleged to have killed Altantuya at the behest of Abdul Razak, who had broken off his affair with her. She was demanding as much as US$500,000 in support money for a child he supposedly had fathered. In a statement to police, he acknowledged that he had given Altantuya US$10,000 on three separate occasions. As Asia Sentinel previously reported, there is abundant reason to suspect that Najib also knew Altantuya, despite his protestations, although his name has been mentioned only once in the Shah Alam high court where the trial is being held. Malaysia’s government-influenced newspapers have mentioned Najib only reluctantly in connection with the case, merely printing that he had sworn before Allah that he had never met the woman.
Najib and Abdul Razak, probably accompanied by the translator, were in France (see BELOW - Najib's last visit to France was in mid 2005.) together at the same time in 2005, perhaps because of a military procurement deal that netted Abdul Razak a fortune. In a letter left behind after her death, Altantuya said she regretted blackmailing Abdul Razak, although she didn’t say what the blackmail entailed. At the time she accompanied Abdul Razak to Paris, Malaysia’s defense ministry, headed by Najib, was negotiating without bids through a Kuala Lumpur-based company, Perimekar Sdn Bhd, which at the time was owned by yet another company called Ombak Laut, wholly owned by Abdul Razak Baginda, to buy two Scorpene submarines and a used Agosta submarine produced by the French government under a French-Spanish joint venture, Amaris.

The Malaysian ministry of defense paid one billion euros (RM4.5 billion) to Amaris for the three submarines, for which Perimekar received an 11 percent commission, 114 million euros (RM510 million) from Amaris. Deputy Defense Minister Zainal Abdidin Zin told the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s parliament, that the whopping commission was not a bribe, but was a fee for “coordination and support services.”

= = ==and from Singapore S T

Murder of Mongolian woman: Malaysians lose interest in 'trial of the

century'; Saturday, 06 October 2007, 07:10am, SST

. Altantuya murder trial: 'Sirul and Razak may be related'

. DNA link between accused; . 'Touch and go' cannot reveal DNA presence

Courtroom crowds have disappeared as hearings proceed at snail's pace

SHAH ALAM - JUST four months ago, the trial of political analyst Abdul Razak

Baginda was dubbed Malaysia's trial of the century. These days, it looks like the trial that Malaysians have forgotten. In the past month, only family members of the three accused and a handful of journalists have turned up in court daily. The trial has been mired in technical arguments and it is moving along so slowly that local newspapers have reduced their coverage on most days. Parts of the blown-up body of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu were found in November last year. Abdul Razak, 47, was charged with abetting her murder. Two men from an elite police unit, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, are accused of murdering her. In its early days, the trial was closely followed because of the gruesome nature of the murder and Abdul Razak's close links to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Also, the two policemen in the dock were part of a unit that guards VIPs, including Datuk Seri Najib. But four months later, the public has lost interest in the ongoing trial. On Thursday, the public gallery of the courtroom was only half-full, with only journalists and family members of the accused in attendance. Not a single member of the public was present. There was nothing of the frenzy of the first few weeks, when reporters had to arrive at dawn to get hold of the limited number of passes. Police officer Yusilawati Mat Yusof, who hands out the daily passes, said all 90 passes used to be snapped up by 8am, an hour before the court session began. 'We now give out about 40 a day and most would go to reporters,' she said. Among the faithful who have kept up their daily presence are Abdul Razak's parents. Another regular, Azilah's fiancee, Ms Azila Baharuddin, told The Straits Times: 'I know he is innocent. That's why I come almost every day.' Abdul Razak's wife Mazlinda Makhzan and daughter Rowena - who came every day at the start - have been absent recently as the daughter has started her studies at a British university. Said journalist Paw Ai Chin from Sin Chew Daily: 'My friends and family have stopped reading my stories. They say the trial's going nowhere.' Prosecutors, who earlier thought the trial would wrap up by end-September, now say they cannot give a date. Days at a stretch are spent on trial-within-a-trial proceedings, with lawyers arguing over the admissibility of evidence.

= == = == == = == == =and where is Najib now?

October 22, 2007 21:24 PM
Najib Arrives For Four-day Visit To France
From Roslan Ariffin

PARIS, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrived here Monday for a four-day visit to France to attend the launch of Malaysia's first Scorpene submarine in Cherbourg and to meet French ministers. On hand to receive Najib, who was accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, at the Le Bourget Airport here at 1.30pm local time (7.30pm Malaysian time) were Malaysian Ambassador to France Datuk S. Thanarajasingam and senior Malaysian government officials.

This is Najib's first visit to France after Nicolas Sarkozy was elected sixth president on May 6, succeeding Jacques Chirac. Najib's last visit to France was in mid 2005. Najib arrived here from a two-day visit to Russia to receive Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha whose Soyuz TMA-II spacecraft landed on earth yesterday, after a 11-day stint at the International Space Station (ISS). Tonight, Najib will attend a welcoming dinner hosted by Thanarajasingam at Malaysia House here. Speaking to Malaysian reporters, Thanarajasingam said later today the Deputy Prime Minister will attend a reception hosted by Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein at the Unesco building here. He said the reception was part of Najib's efforts to lend support to Hishammuddin who is vying for a seat in the 58-member Unesco's Executive Board at the ongoing biennial Unesco General Conference here. The conference is scheduled to elect the executive board members for a four-year term on Wednesday.

A long-standing Unesco member since 1958, Malaysia's last representation in the executive board was in 1999 by Najib himself, who was then the Education Minister. Thanarajasingam said the highlight of Najib's visit will be tomorrow when he witnesses the launch of Malaysia's own submarine in Cherbourg, a dock city where the submarine is manufactured, about 400km south-west of Paris.

He said Rosmah would launch the Scorpene submarine and name it. The second submarine will be delivered to Malaysia next year. In Cherbourg, Najib will be briefed on the submarine by Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS), the company building the Malaysian Scorpene submarines. The 1.04 billion Euro (about RM3.4 billion) procurement of the submarines was signed in June 2002 between Malaysia, DCNS -- a French shipbuilding, submarine and naval services company, and Spanish shipbuilder Navantina. Thanarajasingam said on Tuesday Najib, who is also Defence Minister, is scheduled to meet his French counterpart Herve Morin. At a dinner here on Tuesday, Najib is expected to meet about 200 Malaysians and students in France. On the third day of his visit, he will deliver a public lecture entitled "Defence-Security Issues in outheast Asia" at Institute Francais des Relations and Internationals. "This event is important because French leaders and the people hoped Malaysia can explain to them the regional security issues in Asean. "Among them are the latest developments in Myanmar, security in the Straits of Melaka and possibility of an arms race in Asean (after Malaysia takes delivery of the submarine)," he said.

Najib will depart for home via London on Thursday. Malaysia established diplomatic ties with France in July 1958. There are about 1,000 government-sponsored students pursuing tertiary education in areas such as engineering in French universities. Mara and Telekom Malaysia have also sent students to the European nation. Total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from France to Malaysia from January to July stood at RM8.32 billion, making France Malaysia's fourth largest trading partner in the European Union. Last year, France accounted for 1.63 per cent of Malaysia's global trade, comprising 1.74 per cent exports and 1.49 per cent imports.

Malaysia is France's second largest trading partner in Asean after Singapore.Thanarajasingam said France, Malaysia's 16th largest trading partner, was looking at developing several proposals to enhance Kuala Lumpur-Paris relations since there has been a lot of cooperation between the two countries over the years. Major exports from Malaysia are semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, cathode ray tubes, micro-assemblies, photo cells, audio and visual recorders, radios, automated data processing machines and apparel and clothing. Imports from France are semi-conductors, telecommunications equipment, parts and accessories, manufactured goods, chemicals and foodstuff as well as cosmetics and perfumery. French companies have also invested in Malaysia in areas such as electrical and electronics, rubber products, petroleum and coal, plastic products and food manufacturing

= == = =Go H E R E Updates on Day 50 Trial (23rd Oct 2007)