MORE PICS – EXPRESS BUS Plunges into Ravine 7 Killed; Car Plunges into Stream; Family 5 Killed; BOTH Cases trying to AVOID Vehicles after Accident

Were these just "accidents" or perfect timing at the right place and right time? The express bus at Km 254 N-S EXPRESSWAY was trying to avoid a 4_WD and a Kancil Blocking the road and the bus driver not wanting to kill those (their time is not up yet) swerved left and landed into the deep ravine killing 7 (the latest figure)

In the case of the family of 5 in Membau, they also had a similar situation, the driver of the Proton Iswara avoided knocking the stationary trailer and landed on the roof in the 1 m deep stream killing the whole family.

ABOVE: This Minister of Transport (Chan Kong Choy from MCA) has carried out 3 LRT incidents inquiry plus the Langkawai Ferry incident and promised to release them but "don't known when". Too embarrassing?

Now we have the useless Transport Minister coming out again AFTER the bas “accident” called it mishap and saying that an Inquiry would be held with the assistance of JPJ, his Transport Ministry, the Police and most importantly the newly formed (RM20 million) Institute of Road Safety. Isn’t all these waste of time and money (for those involved, going to the scene of accidents & meetings claiming mileage and hotel accommodation etc) Now what can they recommend enhancing road safety and try to play God to prevent all these deaths.

When their souls decided to leave after a certain period of physical life on earth, surely you cannot stop them when they were at the right place and the right time and there are NO ACTUAL causes as there are NO accidents. Even Traffic Chief Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar admitted "It is fated that these accidents happened. These were the last experiences for them and their families to chew on and to evoke their feelings of how much they might miss them after they are gone – the lessons in life.
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March 09, 2007 23:12 PM

Six Killed, 30 Injured As Bus Plunges Into Ravine;;

ABOVE and BELOW: The express IPOH-TAIPING Bus eventually landed on its roof. Why buses have a tendency to land on its roof, more stable on roof than on the 4 sets of wheels?

KUALA KANGSAR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Six passengers were killed while 30 others were injured when an express bus skidded and plunged into a ravine at KM 254 of the North-South Expressway near the Sungai Perak Rest and Service Area, near here Friday.

Kuala Kangsar OCPD Supt Zakaria Pagan (ABOVE) said five of the injured victims suffered serious injuries and were admitted to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital for treatment. The Ipoh-Taiping express bus, which was believed to be carrying more than 40 passengers, skidded and rammed the steel railing on the left side of the road before plunging into the ravine which was about five metres deep, he said. The accident occurred about 6.30pm as the bus was travelling from Ipoh to Taiping. "Preliminary investigations found that the bus skidded as it was trying to avoid two cars which had collided,"

Zakaria told reporters at the scene tonight. He said all the dead victims had died on the spot and their identities had yet to be determined. The bodies of a Chinese man, three Chinese women, a Malay woman and an Indian woman, aged between 20 and 40, had been sent to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital, he said.

ABOVE & BELOW: The injured were rushed to hospital for treatment

Five victims who suffered serious injuries had been sent to the Ipoh Hospital while the medical team from Kuala Kangsar Hospital and Ipoh Hospital had treated the injured passengers before they were sent to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital. Zakaria said another 15 of the 25 injured passengers were pinned under the overturned bus and a team from the Fire and Rescue Department had to cut the body of the bus to retrieve the victims. He said that so far, three passengers were confirmed to have escaped injuries.

He said the actual number of passengers on the bus could not be ascertained as it was believed several other passengers who had escaped injuries had left the scene. He said the bus driver had also left and had not lodged any police report as of tonight. Zakaria said the accident was being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 because of careless driving which had resulted in the loss of lives. Meanwhile, a student nurse who survived the accident said she was sitting in the rear seat when the bus suddenly swayed. "All of a sudden I felt the bus was not stable after which it skidded and overturned...everything happend in a split second. Alhamdulillah, I managed to crawl out of the bus unhurt," she said. The passenger, who requested anonymity, said she then helped the injured passengers but most of them could not be taken out as they were pinned under the bus.

Another victim, Mohd Noor Jaafar, 40, said the bus driver tried to avoid two cars which were involved in an accident when it skidded and veered to the left of the road. Mohd Noor, who only sustained minor injuries in the accident, said as soon as the bus hit the steel railing, some passengers screamed and there was pandemonium for several seconds before the bus overturned. He said he was on his way home in Kamunting, Taiping from Ipoh. The accident caused a massive traffic jam stretching about 15 kilometres at the Jelapang Toll Plaza heading south.
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Six killed in accident as bus plunges into ravine; STAR

KUALA KANGSAR: Six passengers of a Taiping-bound express bus were killed when it plunged into a ravine outside the Menora Tunnel along the North-South Expressway yesterday. Three of the victims were identified as Lee Ah Chuan, 53, of Batu Kurau; Chung Keaw @ Cheong Yue Moy, 65, of Kampung Baru Malim Nawar and 22-year-old A. Thanalachumi of Taiping. At press time, the names of the other victims were still not released to the media. Six passengers with serious injuries were warded at the Ipoh Hospital while 15 others who suffered light injuries were sent to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital.

Frantic search: Rescuers searching for passengers trapped inside the wrecked express bus which plunged into the ravine outside the Menora Tunnel on Friday.

Kuala Kangsar OCPD Supt Zakaria Pagan said it was raining when the bus, with 40 passengers on board, went off the road at 6pm. It had left Ipoh about an hour earlier.

Police investigations showed that the bus driver was trying to avoid colliding with two cars involved in an earlier accident. He lost control and the bus turned turtle down a five-metre deep slope near Kampung Rambai Tujuh, Supt Zakaria told reporters. Passenger Kasmawati Azmi said she was sitting near the back of the bus when she felt its swaying.

“It wasn’t speeding. It was drizzling and I felt the bus driver trying to avoid hitting the other cars,” said the 25-year-old trainee dental nurse. “But the bus ended up skidding sharply to the left before crashing through the guardrail and plunging down the slope.

“Everyone screamed. I saw two passengers bleeding after their ears were severed in the crash,” she added. Kasmawati said she was returning to her home in Taman Kuning Sari in Taiping, when the incident occurred. “It was my first time taking the bus. Usually my parents would fetch me at the Ipoh Hospital,” she said. Kasmawati, who crawled out of the bus through the emergency door, said she thought the bus was going to burst into flames and that she would die instantly.

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March 10, 2007 19:46 PM

No More Need For Police In Express Buses, Says Nooryah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Drivers should not rely on the police to monitor road users all the time, Bukit Aman Traffic Chief Datuk Nooryah Md Anvar said. As licensed drivers, she said, they should know the laws and to abide by stipulated regulations."If we are with them all the time, when are they going to obey the regulations," said Nooryah when asked whether police would continue to have uniformed policemen travel in express buses to ensure the drivers observed traffic regulations. Although it was carried out following a suggestion by Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hasan, she said, it was inappropriate for the police to practice it all the time. She said it was implemented to educate and ensure express bus drivers observe traffic regulations so that their passengers arrived at their destinations safely. "I will not compromise with drivers who are reckless," she said when contacted by Bernama here today.
She expressed regret with accidents involving express buses, including the one in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, in which six passengers were killed and 30 others injured, when it plunged into a ravine along the North-South Expressway yesterday. It is fated that these accidents happened but I cannot accept excuses like faulty brakes because it is the responsibility of the drivers to ensure that their buses are in tip-top condition and safe before they begin their journey," she said. As such, Nooryah said she had told all express bus operators to conduct a post-mortem to find out the actual cause of accidents involving public transport service. "Following which I will have a meeting with them to find out the outcome," she added.
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March 10, 2007 19:43 PM

Police Identify Victims Of Bus Crash
KUALA KANGSAR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Police have identified the six passengers killed in the accident involving a Taiping-bound express bus which plunged into a ravine at Km254 of the North-South Expressway yesterday.

ABOVE & BELOW: Both Polytechnic Ungku Omar students

Two of them are students of the Ungku Omar Polytechnic in Ipoh. They are Nafsiah Ishak, 22, of No. 226-A, Jalan Makam DiRaja, Pantai Remis and A. Thanaletchumi, 22, from Lorong C, Aulong Lama, Taiping.

ABOVE: Lee An Chuan, 54, of No. 119 Jalan Besar, Batu Kurau; BELOW: Chung Keaw @ Cheong Yue Moy, 65, from Kampung Baru, Malim Nawar;

The others are Lee An Chuan, 54, of No. 119 Jalan Besar, Batu Kurau; Chung Keaw @ Cheong Yue Moy, 65, from Kampung Baru, Malim Nawar;

ABOVE: Saw Guat Har, 45, from Lorong Kemunting, Taiping; (BELOW) Liew Yoon Kim, 55, of No. 7 Jalan Tujuh, Housing Trust, Ipoh.

Saw Guat Har, 45, from Lorong Kemunting, Taiping and Liew Yoon Kim, 55, of No. 7 Jalan Tujuh, Housing Trust, Ipoh. Kuala Kangsar OCPD Supt Zakaria Pagan said all the victims died on the spot in the 6.30pm accident and their bodies had been sent to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital.

Police had informed their next-of-kin, who would be claiming their bodies for burial, he told reporters here today. He said the bus was carrying 48 passengers. Twenty-three of the injured were warded at the Kuala Kangsar Hospital, seven others at the Taiping Hospital and another six at the Ipoh Hospital. The driver of the express bus, 49, was also injured and was treated at the Taiping Hospital. Zakaria said initial investigations showed that the bus driver was trying to avoid two cars which were involved in an accident when the bus went off the road and plunge into the five-metre deep ravine. Two cranes were used to lift the bus in the rescue operation involving the police and the Fire and Rescue Department. Meanwhile, Nafsiah's father, Ishak Mahd Noor 54, said he only knew only learnt about the accident in the accident when his son called Nafsiah on her handphone after she failed to arrive home as expected about 7pm.

"A fireman answered the call and informed him (son) about the accident," he added. He said Nafsiah returned home every weekend to be with the family. "She called me about 5.30pm to inform me that she was on her way home and would call again when she arrived," he added.

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Five in family die after car plunges into stream in Mambau

10 Mar 2007; BERNAMA
SEREMBAN, SAT: Five members of a family were killed when their car skidded and landed in a stream at KM 11 of the Seremban-Port Dickson road near Kampung Bemban, Mambau, last night. Negeri Sembilan Public Order and Traffic Chief Supt Junaid Zakaria said today Ismail Sehan, 56, his wife, Jemiah Baharom, 52, daughters Maslina, 30, and Nurul Shahierah, 7, and adopted daughter Aida Rosli, 11, died at the scene.

He said the accident happened about 10.50pm while the family was returning to their public housing unit at KM12.8 Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson, after fetching Maslina at the Terminal 1 bus station here. It is believed that Ismail was trying to avoid hitting a trailer, which was involved in an earllier accident, when he lost control of his Proton Iswara car, causing it to skid and land on its roof in the 1 metre-deep stream. Firemen took about an hour to extricate the bodies which were then sent to the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital for post-mortem.

MORE PICS–ALTANTUYA SHAARIIBUU MURDER TRIAL Rescheduled to June 4- 29 07 under Trial Judge Judicial Comm. Datuk Mohd Zaki-took over Datuk KN Negara

Part VII

MORE PICS–ALTANTUYA SHAARIIBUU MURDER TRIAL Rescheduled to June 4- 29 07 under New Trial Judge Judicial Comm. Datuk Mohd Zaki-who took over from Datuk KN Negara

UPDATE: March 12, 2007 21:13 PM

DNA Test Results On Altantuya's Son To Be Out Saturday

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- Results of the DNA test on Altanshagai Munkhtulga, 4, son of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the Mongolian model who was murdered last November is expected to be out by this Saturday. The Mongolian consul in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al-Habshi said the test would be conducted at the National Hospital of Ulan Bator (NHUB) Wednesday morning. "Our special team comprising Federal CID deputy director (II) Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan, Kuala Lumpur deputy serious crimes chief DSP Gan Tack Guan and a forensic specialist Dr Azreen from Kuala Lumpur, will witness the test to ensure the test is conducted fairly.

"NHUB officials told me that it would take about two or three days to conduct a thorough DNA test. I have learnt the final result of the test is very vital for the prosecution on the June trial, to determine the real father of Altanshagai," he told Bernama here Monday. Abdul Rahman said the team would be leaving this midnight and his counterpart in Ulan Bator had already been informed of the visit. "A Mongolian Interpol officer informed me this morning that our special team will be receiving a VIP treat. There, both parties will have discussion on the DNA test process and other related matters. "Even Dr Shaariibuu Setev Altantuya's father) called me yesterday and promised me that he will give his full cooperation to our special team in order to expedite the DNA test," Abdul Rahman said.

On Sunday, Bernama reported Altanshagai's health condition was turning for the worse

[…]
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UPDATE: 11 March 2007

March 11, 2007 17:06 PM

Altantuya's Father Pleased Trial Date Brought Forward

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- "I am very pleased to hear that the trial of my daughter's murder has been brought forward," said Dr Shaaribuu Setev, the father of murdered Mongolian model, Altantuya, whose body was blown to bits by explosives at a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam last November. The Shah Alam High Court had originally fixed March 10 next year for the trial because of a heavy backlog of cases. But in light of the Judiciary having hired more Judicial Commissioners recently, the date now has been brought forward to June 4 this year and 25 days have been set aside for the hearing. "The Mongolian consul in Malaysia (Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al Habshi) contacted me on Friday evening and informed me the good news.

It gives me great relief to hear this," he told Bernama when contacted by telephone in Ulan Bator Sunday. Shaaribuu, 56, who is the director of the National University of Mongolia's Information and Educational Centre, said that everyone in Mongolia including the Prime Minister Miyeegombo Enkhbold had hoped that the trial would start early. C/Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, have been charged with murdering Altantuya while a prominent local political analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda, 46, has been charged with abetment in it.
The trio are alleged to have conspired to commit the murder at Bangunan Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang here between 9.45am and 11.05am on Oct 18 last year. Shaaribuu said that he had been haunted by the tragedy every night, and added:

"Only God knows my ordeal." "I have strong belief and trust in the Malaysian judicial system and that the perpetrators will pay for their heinous acts," he said in an emotion-choked voice. He said that a grand funeral for Altantuya, his eldest daughter, had been planned early this year but the family decided to postpone it to after the trial was completed. "I want to collect all the remaining bone fragments of her still being held by the police in Malaysia before holding the grand funeral. Based on our beliefs, a person's soul won't rest in peace if body remains are kept apart," he explained. The Malaysian police surrendered a portion of the bone fragments of the 28 year-old Altantuya recovered from the murder scene to the father but are still holding on to some of them to be presented as exhibits during the trial.

Meanwhile, Syed Abdul Rahman told Bernama today that a Malaysian team comprising two police officers and a forensics specialist from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) would be leaving for Ulan Bator on Tuesday to conduct a DNA test on Altantuya's three-year-old son. "The police officers are from Bukit Aman (Federal Police Headquarters) and city (Kuala Lumpur) police. I received a call from the police requesting me to make the arrangements for them to go to Mongolia. "The Mongolian Interpol will accompany them upon their arrival. I have learnt that the test is to determine whether the boy's DNA matches Razak's. I don't want to comment more about it as I do not want to prejudice the trial," he said. Abdul Rahman said that the boy's health condition was turning for the worse as he is suffering from a severe brain disease which has caused his head to be swollen. "I have also learnt that the Mongolian government is doing all it can to help Shaaribuu save his grandson's life," he added

= = =For More info on "hydrocephalus",(head swelling, see 1st Post H E R E)

= = = == = = = = = 12 Mar 2007; NST… more details

KUALA LUMPUR: The Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial has been brought forward but police are still not done with investigations. Tomorrow, a high-level team from Bukit Aman and here, accompanied by a forensic specialist, will leave for Mongolia to take blood samples from Altantuya’s three-year-old son for DNA testing. This is to ascertain if the boy is the child of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda who is charged with abetting two policemen in the murder of Altantuya, a part-time model. The team headed by Federal CID deputy director (II) Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan will be in Ulan Bator for four days. Accompanying Syed Ismail will be the Kuala Lumpur deputy serious crimes chief DSP Gan Tack Guan and a forensic pathologist from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. The New Straits Times learnt that they will be assisted by their Mongolian counterparts.It is also learnt that the boy, who is suffering from a severe brain disease, is getting worse.

= = = = =UPDATE from SUN, a more detailed account

Mongolian's murder hearing set for June 4 to 29; R.Surenthira Kumar; SUN

SHAH ALAM (March 9, 2007): A tug-of-war unfolded between the lawyers representing the two police personnel and the political analyst in the Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial mentioned in the High Court here today.

ABOVE: Lawyer Zulkifli Nordin briefing newsmen on what happened in court today

Lawyers Zulkifli Nordin and Kamarul Hisham, representing C/Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, respectively told Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin they needed adequate time to prepare their case and applied for the case to be heard in June. The third accused, Abdul Razak Abdullah, 46, charged with abetting the two policemen in the murder, through his lawyer Wong Khian Kheong, however insisted for an early hearing date.

“Due to public interest, the trial should begin as soon as possible, probably early next month,”aid Wong. Deputy Public Proseutor Salehuddin Saidin, who earlier addressed the court, said “today’s mention is to fix the trial date”. “All the lawyers must be free for the case to carry on,” said Salehuddin when asked outside the courtroom why the DPP’s office did not voice any objection to the two policemen’s lawyers’ request for a June trial date. There was also another new development during the proceedings when Wong informed the court that new solicitors have been appointed to represent Abdul Razak.

He named the solicitors from the law firm Norendra & Yap. “However I will (still) remain as a counsel for Abdul Razak,” said Wong. Mohd Zaki said the court had received a letter from Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill, the firm which Wong was attached with, that it no longer represented Abdul Razak. He also told the lawyers, with reference to the letter received from the Deputy Registrar which stated that following the appointment of three new Judicial Commissioners, the cases scheduled for end of the year and next year have been re-distributed because there were now six judges to handle criminal cases. He said the move was also in line with the Chief Justice’s circular for courts to bring forward and dispose pending cases.

“Moreover, the circular stressed that cases involving government servants should be given priority. There are about 200 such cases here and this is one of them. Even though Abdul Razak is not a public servant, his case has been brought forward because he is being jointly tried with the two policemen. Lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya’s family and the Mongolian government sought an explanation the reason for the change in the judge as it was previously heard before Justice Datuk K.N.Segara. “Do you have any problems with me hearing the case?” Mohd Zaki asked. “No, no problems, it is because of public apprehension.” Karpal Singh responded. Mohd Zaki said the reasons were as stated earlier and the case was transferred to him because Segara had more part-heard cases to be disposed off compared with him.

“Do the others have any problems with me hearing the case?” Mohd Zaki asked, and Salehuddin responded with “ there was none”. The courtroom drama again focused on the “battle” between Kamarul, Zulkifli and Wong over the fixture of the trial date. Kamarul said he and Zulkifli require ample time to prepare their case and setting an earlier date will result in them having insufficient time for them to have a strong line of defence. “We are sole proprietors and have been giving emphasis on other cases as this case was initially set for March next year and the sudden change has affected our preparations,” added Zulkifli. Wong said his client has given firm instructions for his case to be heard and disposed off as soon as possible. “My client wants to be vindicated as soon as possible,” he added. He said the request for an early date was based on:

1. the Chief Justice’s directive to bring forward and dispose cases involving government servants;
2. the case involved the death of a foreigner and the interested parties have to travel far to attend the proceedings;
3. the case is of public interest; and his client’s unprecedented move, to file and reveal in open court an affidavit detailing his relationship with the victim, which was aimed at assisting the court to expedite the case.

“I understand my learned friend’s concern, but I donít think hearing the case on a later date will cause any ‘dents’ to public interest,”Kamarul rebutted. Zulkilfi said it was only fair for the court to give him and Kamarul adequate time to prepare their case fully as the offence carried the death penalty upon conviction. “If Wong’s client has firm instructions, so do I. My client has firmly told me to begin in June,” said Zulkifli. Azilah, Sirul Azhar and Abdul Razak were not present in court today. Their families were, however, present to witness the proceedings. Mohd Zaki said usually it was the accused who would seek for early trial, but it was the other way round in this case.

“We don’t want any hiccups to occur during the trial and for the case to be disrupted,” he stressed. Mohd Zaki then asked Salehuddin how long time he would require to ready his case, to which the DPP said about a month as they will be calling between 30 and 40 witnesses. Ahmad Zaki also reminded there was another murder trial involving a government servant set in April and he would not want to change the dates set for that case. He asked Zulkifli if he could go on at end of April and May, but the lawyer insisted that he could not as he will be away, but did not tell the court the details. “Are you saying you will not be present if I set the case on May 14?” asked Mohd Zaki. Zulkifli responded with a “Yes”. Mohd Zaki also said it would be court vacation in June but he was willing to forego the leave to attend to the case. “We will be ready from June 4 and can proceed full swing until the end,” said Zulkifli. Mohd Zaki, after much deliberation, finally set June 4 to 29 for hearing. “No excuses for postponements will be entertained until the completion of the case,” he added before continuing to hear another case.

There was a commotion at the end of today's hearing when Datuk Zaki was about to hear another case.

ABOVE:Rowena, the daughter of Abdul Razak started crying aloud in the courtroom (probably having to endure another 3 months of separation from dad' remand in Sungai Buluh prision). Her mother apologized for her condition and escorted her back home via the Mercedes Benz (BELOW). Meanwhile the judge adjourned hearing for 10 mins.

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Many are questioning WHY there has been a change of Trial Charge. In today’s hearing, Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin who took over from judge Datuk K.N. Segara, gave two reasons why the case has been expedited.

1. Appointment of three new judicial commissioners to hear the backlog criminal cases in Shah Alam High Court.
2. Case was transferred to him as Segara has a lot of partly heard cases to handle compared to him.

Are these all the valid reasons? What is strange is that Datuk K N Segara is still in the Shah Alam High Court and, there was no proper application to transfer the case to another judge. Also in normal circumstances if an accused person is not happy with a particular trial judge, the proper procedure is to make an application that the said judge be removed. An in this case, was there such an application?

Even the counsel Zulkifli Noordin for the two accused (ABOVE) of murder in the case was informed about the change on 7^th March and was not involved in any such application.

This change in “choosing the judge” must have been ordered by the higher ups in the judiciary or from the Executive. The truth is hard to determine.

ABOVE: Breaking News from Msiakini; None of the accused were present in court this morning for the mention of date.

March 09, 2007 12:31 PM

Altantuya's Murder Trial Brought Forward To June 4

SHAH ALAM, March 9 (Bernama) -- The Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial has been brought forward before a Judicial Commissioner to June 4, this year. Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin who took over from judge Datuk K.N. Segara, fixed the new date after the case came up for mention Friday.He fixed one month from June 4 untill June 29 for the trial. The same High Court had earlier fixed four weeks from March 10 next year for the trial as the court had too many backlog cases to hear. Mohd Zaki said the trial of the case had been expedited following the appointment of three new judicial commissioners to hear the backlog criminal cases in Shah Alam High Court.

He also said that the case was transferred to him as Segara has a lot of partly heard cases to handle compared to him. Abdul Razak Baginda, 46, a political analyst is accused of abetting two policemen from the special unit force to murder Altantuya. The case attracted wide publicity following the discovery of the remains of the 28-year-old Altantuya in a forest in Puncak Alam here, in November last year. Her body had been blown to bits with explosive.

Abdul Razak (pictured ABOVE on Jan 19 07)allegedly committed the offence between 9.54 am and 11.05 am on Oct 18 last year, at level 10 Bangunan Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

C/Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, were accused of murdering the woman in Lot 12843 and Lot 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm, Oct 19 and 1 am, Oct 20 last year. Razak is charged under section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 302 of the same code which carries the mandatory death sentence, if convicted. Razak is currently withheld in prison pending the trial following his failure in several attempts to be released on bail on health reasons. Mohd Zaki explained that all the three accused were not brought to court for today's proceeding as today was only fixed for mention to determine the trial dates.

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Friday March 9, 2007; STAR, Brief report today (wait Tomorrow, for FULL STORY?)

Altantuya murder trial brought forward to June 4 this year

SHAH ALAM: The Altantuya Shaaribuu murder trial at the Shah Alam High Court has been brought forward to June 4 this year. The trial was recently transferred to the Shah Alam High Court (Criminal) 3 before Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yassin The case was previously before Justice K.N. Segara, who had fixed the hearing for March next year
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Altantuya murder case: Karpal urges police to use affidavit to reopen case

23 Jan 2007, NST;
KUALA LUMPUR: The police have been urged to reopen investigations into the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case in the wake of what the man charged with abetting in the crime had said in his affidavit. Lawyer Karpal Singh (ABOVE), who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya's family, said the startling revelations in the affidavit by political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, read at the Shah Alam High Court on Friday in support of his bail application, had brought into focus the necessity to reopen investigations. Abdul Razak stated in his affidavit that he had a seven-month affair with Altantuya before their relationship turned sour. He had been with her in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, France and Kuala Lumpur between 2004 and 2005, and they had been lovers. "She claimed to be a student and did side business (cari makan sampingan),"

Abdul Razak said, adding that he gave her money on several occasions, including US$10,000 (RM35,000) on three occasions. This money, he said, was to meet the medical expenses of Altantuya's mother, who was suffering from cancer.Abdul Razak said sometime towards the end of 2005, he stopped giving her money and lodged a police report on Oct 23 last year as "I could not tolerate her nuisance". Karpal, who is also the Bukit Gelugor MP, called on the police to record the statement from the Commissioner for Oaths who affirmed Abdul Razak's affidavit.

"The commissioner would certainly be an important prosecution witness at the trial," he said. "The affidavit is a sworn statement and amounts to evidence as if given from the witness box under oath. "The evidence in the affidavit is stronger than a cautioned statement, which is not given under oath." Karpal said the affidavit itself seemed like a confession and this led to judge Datuk K.N. Segara to comment that "there is also no dispute that the accused, on face value, abetted in the crime".

The judge also said Abdul Razak and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, one of the men charged with her murder, were in constant communication before Altantuya was killed. Karpal called on the police to investigate Abdul Razak's assertion that Azilah admitted he had killed six to seven people. "This incriminating statement is compounded by the fact that Azilah is a chief inspector attached to the Special Action Squad." Karpal said every effort should be made to bring to justice those responsible for Altantuya's murder. The case created a media frenzy after it was reported that Altantuya was shot before her body was blown up using explosives. Her bone fragments were found in a jungle clearing near Shah Alam. Abdul Razak is charged with abetting Azilah, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, in Altantuya's murder. Azilah and Sirul were alleged to have committed the offence in Bukit Raja, Petaling, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20.

= = == =Some interesting read on the Malaysian political scene . The darker side of politics in play
Mongolian model murder a potential time bomb? –an Incisive Opinion by Kim Quek; Jan 17, 07 2:03pm

Anwar Ibrahim's recent call for transparency and for widening police. Investigations into the Mongolian model's murder is a stark reminder that all is not well with the Malaysian government's handling of this murder case. In fact, the standard of transparency and accountability falls so short of that practiced by a democratic country that once again we are painfully reminded of the perversion of justice that took place in the infamous persecution of Anwar Ibrahim more than eight years ago. The injustice then was to condemn and persecute an innocent man. This time, perhaps it is to provide shelter to one guilty of murder.As in the earlier Anwar case, democratic institutions - police, attorney general's chamber, judiciary and the media - seemed to have been mobilised again to act in concert in a critical damage control exercise, upon which may hinge the fate of the power structure of the country.

However, before dwelling into the details, let us take a perspective view of the case. At the heart of the scandal is a beautiful Mongolian girl, Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was rather erroneously known as a model, but in fact a multi-lingual interpreter and translator - Chinese, Russian, English and French - for which she travelled frequently. She was alleged to have been a lover of Abdul Razak Baginda, a political analyst and a confidante of the Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Defence Najib Tun Razak. The former travelled extensively and often accompanied the latter in his trips overseas.The gravity of Altantuya's bizarre murder - shot and blown to pieces - looms from its indirect link to Najib, as two of his bodyguards were charged for killing and Razak Baginda for abetting; and the explosives used were no ordinary explosives, but high power C-4 which was in the exclusive custody of the ministry of defence. Compounding this gravity was another scandal also indirectly linked to Najib via Razak Baginda, whose company was the dubious recipient of an exorbitant commission paid out in connection with the multi-billion purchase of submarines by the ministry of defence.

So Najib (pictured ABOVE, in his recent trip to Japan, Mar 2007), who in many ways acts like the de facto leader of the country, has become the ultimate focal point of two explosive scandals, albeit linked to him indirectly. That this scandal touches the nerve centre of the top political hierarchy is apparent from the extraordinary treatment accorded to it by the police, attorney general's chamber, the judiciary and the local media. The local media's collaboration was most recently demonstrated in the blackout of news on the Anwar Ibrahim press conference on Jan 10, where apart from calling for wider probe, he also bombarded the authorities with a series of incisive questions which would have hit headlines if Malaysia is a country with a free press.

THE POLICE

Starting with the police, why was Najib not queried? (Reuters on Jan 10 quoted a government source saying that no one else had been questioned other than the three accused). The police had no possible justification not to question Najib, as the alleged murderers and the explosives were in his domain. Keep in mind that these bodyguards are from the Special Action Force where they were trained for extreme duties and absolute obedience and that they had no apparent motive of their own to annihilate the girl.

Take note that Razak Baginda was not charged for ordering but abetting the murder (he couldn't have ordered any way since he had no authority over them). So who had ordered the bodyguards to abduct the girl while she was attempting to enter Razak's house and later killed her? Shouldn't the police have been curious to find out some answers from the bodyguards' immediate boss (Najib) as to why and how they had embarked on such a violent venture? What inference can we draw when the police failed to act as it should have in regards to Najib? Or do the police know what the public don't?

And why have the police been extremely tight-lipped over details of the case, with the head of the criminal investigations department (Christopher Wan) remaining steadfastly mum?

Why has the Inspector General of Police (Musa Hassan) (ABOVE) taken the most unusual, and in fact, unprecedented measure of taking personal charge of this investigation? Is it proper for the police to hide crucial facts of the case when the news has been hogging nternational headlines, casting aspersion on the integrity of the government? Being also minister of security which controls the police force, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is directly responsible for proper police conduct over this investigation. Though he was quick to vow for a no-holds-barred probe and due punishment to the culprits irrespective of status, his words have not been matched by deeds.

PROSECUTOR AND JUDICIARY

Murder is a non-bailable offence. When Razak was granted bond (without security) on Nov. 23 and again extended on bail on Dec. 14 on the questionable ground of having had bronchitis, both the prosecutor and the judge were seen as acting with partiality in favour of the accused, as such bail was rarely granted, safe on grounds of extreme health hazard. On Jan. 5, Razak's application for extension of bail was rejected, to the shock of almost everyone. However, the rejection was not against the application per se, rather it was against the presentation in oral form. The judge then fixed Jan. 19 to hear the written application. However, impatient to wait till Jan. 19, Razak appealed and was granted a hearing by the Court of Appear on Jan. 11. The Appellate Court rejected the appeal on the ground that there was no judgment for the court to deliberate on, as the high court had yet to hear the application on Jan. 19.

Apart from his dereliction of duty in failing to oppose bail, the deputy public prosecutor (Salehuddin Saidin) from the A.G.'s chamber had also engaged in improper conduct when he ruled out the possible involvement of parties other than the three accused when the investigation is manifestly incomplete and the self-motivation of the killers ostentatiously lacking. His overzealous push for such a premature conclusion has thus fanned further speculation on the existence of a real master mind behind the three accused. Perhaps what disappoints the public most is the distant date fixed for the hearing - March 10, 2008. The judge's (K.N.Segara ) explanation of first-come-first-serve cuts no ice.

For an important case like this, where the integrity of the highest strata of the government is brought into question at home and abroad, the court has every justification to allocate priority, since it serves public interests to have justice served and law and order restored to regain public confidence at the earliest. Here again, we are reminded of the contrast in treatment accorded by the court between the Anwar Ibrahim trial for corruption (no money involved) and the present murder trial. If the Anwar trial could commence in just over a month from his arrest, why can't the present trial, which involves an offence many times more serious, be also given an expeditious trial? Does this not confirm the oft-repeated accusation that our judiciary acts under the dictates of the Executive - insignificant charges could be tried by express, while trials for grave charges could be pushed off, if such judicial arrangements so suit the political interests of the power that be?

SUBMARINE SCANDAL

The key to any murder case is the motive. This is where we have to bring in the submarines deal scandal, for Altantuya's apparent part in it may provide an important lead to the motivation of this murder. Reports from Mongolia have thrown light on Altantuya's working relationship with Razak Baginda.

Based on an interview with Altantuya's father Professor Shaariibuu (ABOVE), a report states that the Professor has established from Altantuya's documents that the latter had been rendering translation and secretarial services to Razak, interpreting for him in high level meetings and negotiation. In particular, she had assisted Razak in the submarines deal.

The Professor further stated that the main purpose of Altantuya's recent trip to Malaysia was to demand settlement of the fees due to her. Such demand for fees would have been treated as an ordinary affair, if not for the fact that there is a dark side to this submarine deal. The Malaysian ministry of defence pays one billion euros (RM 4.5 billion) to the vendor Amaris (French/Spanish JV) for three submarines (including a used one), for which transaction, Razak's company Perimekar receives a commission of 114 million euros (RM 510 million) from Amaris. The commission is a whopping 11% of the sales value, a ridiculously high figure that suggests improprieties.

Excessive as the figure might sound, the true hidden leakage could be very much more if consideration is given to the fact that the sales was not conducted through competitive tenders. Being the interpreter, who happened to be a charming person, Altantuya could have played an important role in sealing the deal. And considering that this is a deal where money flows freely, it would not be far fetched to imagine that Altantuya could have been promised a more than generous fee, in addition to privy to information that could not be leaked out without causing grievous damage to others.

Under such circumstances, Altantuya could be looked upon as an unwelcome and dangerous visitor if there were irreconcilable differences between her and her Malaysian clients, whether these arose from pecuniary conflicts or sexual entanglement as widely rumoured. It is obvious that investigations into the murder case cannot be meaningfully pursued without at the same time probing into the submarine deal scandal. In this connection, the participation. of our docile Anti-Corruption Agency is long overdue. This is the time that Prime Minister must show his leadership by personally ensuring that these two law-enforcing bodies directly under his portfolios - police and ACA - work hand in hand to expeditiously secure a full and fair investigation into the murder case as well as to bring the corrupt to book in the submarine corruption scandal. He should further ensure that the judiciary and the attorney general's chamber be allowed to deliver justice without interference from the Executive.

= = == =for related last post (PART VI) (Jan 20 07) Go H E R E On

MORE PICS-MURDER Altantuya Shaariibuu; SENSATIONAL Details in Bail AFFIDAVIT; Abdul Razak Relationship with Her; Meeting- Azilah to “get rid” of Her

= = = == = == = == or the next POST (Part VIII) H E R E On
MORE PICS & (a Video link) of ALTANTUYA SHAARIIBUU (the murdered Mongolian); PICTURES of Early Childhood, Adulthood and Motherhood Life & TWO Children; Video Narrated by Father; She departed sensationally, distressing her parents