My favourite photo from all the ones I have taken thus far. Taken in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on July 19, 2006.

Don’t you think its very funny how when somebody implicated Anuwar, they put it in the front page and write everything, but when somebody else is implicated, they take all measures to avoid printing his name? I mean, you and I both know who is implicated? Yet the star doesn’t want to print his name, but if its not somebody in power, they will print it , shout it out the mountain tops and make it look as if he is 100% guilty.

[source]
Altantuya murder: PI implicates senior politician

PETALING JAYA: Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda’s private investigator P. Balasubramaniam says the police omitted information about the relationship between a senior politician and Mongolian murder victim Altantuya Shaariibuu in his statement.

In the high profile case, Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK) operatives C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar are charged with murdering the 28-year-old Mongolian translator between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 two years ago in Mukim Bukit Raja, Shah Alam.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda is accused of abetting them.

More to follow

Probe claims for fresh evidence, Karpal urges A-G
[source]

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman and lawyer Karpal Singh said yesterday the attorney-general should investigate the contents of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration on the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder if it helps bring new evidence to the on-going murder case.

“For him to make such claims in the affidavit makes me think he may know or have something (on the case),” he said at a press conference held at his law office on Jalan Pudu Lama with Altantuya’s father Shaariibuu Setev. Asked if Raja Petra’s action to make the declaration public amounted to subjudice as claimed by police, Karpal said he did not see how this was so as the murder trial was ongoing and it made sense to include new evidence which may crop up to be made admissible in the case.

He said although the prosecution has closed its case in the trial, they should not be deterred from further probing the disclosures. He added if the allegations were found to be true, the AG can apply to the court to re-open the prosecution’s case. Karpal said he welcomed the AG’s assurance that he will probe to seek the truth as he views the allegations seriously.

He said it was important that every effort be made to see that the trial goes on fairly as it is not just the family of Altantuya and the Mongolian government who will need to be appeased but the international community. The lawyer said he will go to the AG’s office at 10am today (Wednesday) with Setev although an appointment had not been secured with the AG. Speaking with the help of a translator, Setev said he learnt about Raja Petra’s affidavit after reading the newspapers and had sought Karpal’s advice on it.

In his declaration, Raja Petra said that he was informed that three people, including the wife of a VIP, were present at the crime scene on the day Altantuya was said to have been blown up with plastic explosives. Following this, a police report was lodged by the AG’s Chamber. The police were quoted as saying that they are scrutinising the report and are expected to call up Raja Petra and all those named in the affi davit for questioning.

Police had also said the blogger’s actions to post the statutory declaration on his website was subjudice and he could face charges and imprisonment of up to two years for the offence. At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar rejected a motion by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) to discuss Raja Petra’s statutory declaration on the grounds that the murder trial was going on at the High Court.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday refuted an allegation that he had received a written report from military intelligence pertaining to the murder of Altantuya, reports Bernama. “Of course I am concerned (over the allegation by Malaysia-Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin). What Raja Petra did is unacceptable … because what he stated is incorrect. “It is stated (in Raja Petra’s statutory declaration) that I received a report from the military intelligence. That is not correct,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of a special committee on enhancing the competitiveness of oil palm, at Parliament House

Shaariibuu makes surprise visit to court
[source]

SHAH ALAM: Setev Shaariibuu, the father of Altantuya Shaariibuu, turned up in court unannounced
early yesterday morning, to the surprise of press photographers. Shaariibuu, who emerged from the lift at about 9.55am, walked up to reporters and police offi cers who were familiar with him and shook their hands before making his way into court to hushed whispers from the family members and friends of the accused, who were also taken aback to see him there.

He was accompanied by Mongolian interpreter Enkhhjargal Tsetsgee and Mongolian consulgeneral in Malaysia Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al-Habsh, who said Shaariibuu had arrived in Malaysia on Sunday night and is expected to return home on Thursday.

Shaariibuu, who spoke to reporters through the interpreter outside the court later, said his visit was in anticipation of the end of the prosecution’s case. He was also anxious to know if the accused would be called to make their defence.

However, this would be some time away because the court set July 23 to hear submissions on two mpeachment proceedings, two trials-within-a-trial and the trial proper. Shaariibuu distributed copies
of a statement to the reporters listing several points he had been pondering over the last two years.

He also gave out copies of a letter from the Mongolian foreign affairs ministry to Tun Abdul Majid Tun
Hamzah, head of the civil division of the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers. The letter was signed by its consular department deputy director, Yadmaa Ariunbold, with copies to Mongolian MPs, Mongolia’s
foreign minister, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a
watching brief for the Mongolian government.

In the letter, Yadmaa recapped that he had visited Malaysia from May 29 and met officials from police, foreign ministry and Tun Abdul Majid to reiterate Mongolia’s position on the issue. “With goodwill between our two countries I anticipate that the Malaysia side would ensure fair and independent court trial till the end,” the letter said. “Any further ruling and judgment on above stated case hatever
violating the internationally accepted norms and standards, would force Mongolia for taking an action that could affect bilateral relations between our friendly nations and inter alia, to bring this issue to the attention of the regional and international arena with pure legal concept of human right and democracy.

“The government of Mongolia remains following entire legal process on this severe criminal case
with particular attention.” Shaariibuu did not want to comment on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration implicating a VIP’s wife and two armed forces personnel in the murder, adding that it was not for him to say. He, however, referred to Raja Petra as a “person seeking justice”. On the progress of the case, he said: “We’ll wait for the submissions and then we’ll see what happens after that.”

Asked if his government or anyone had told him what he needed to do, Shaariibuu said: “I am well known in Mongolia and many people have told me what to do and say but, at the end of the day, it is my call.