By Kee Thuan Chye
from Yahoo! Malaysia
Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam is gone, and his untimely death from a heart attack makes it all the more pressing for Malaysians to find answers to the mystery of the murder of the Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Who actually did it? Logically, it would seem unlikely that the two police personnel who have been convicted acted on their own. What would be the motive of Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri? They didn’t even know Altantuya before they whisked her away and dealt the fatal blow. It would seem they were merely hitmen.
Furthermore, according to Sirul’s cautioned statement, they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to dispose of Altantuya. If this is true, who made the offer?
Other questions float in limbo like ghosts whose souls have not been put to rest. How did these two men get their hands on the C4 explosive used to blow Altantuya’s body to smithereens? It’s something that is difficult to procure. Did they have help from certain quarters?
Bala had said that he wanted to reveal what he knew about matters related to the murder in order to bring justice to Altantuya and the two convicted men. But now he is unable to testify in court.
He did, however, manage to come home from exile to publicly announce that he stood by his first statutory declaration (SD) in which he implicated Prime Minister Najib Razak – if only in the sense that the latter knew Altantuya and had had a sexual relationship with her, and that he might have influenced the attorney-general on the handling of the murder trial.
This first SD also stated that although Bala gave a statement to the police that included Najib’s alleged relationship with Altantuya, what he was given to sign omitted this detail. And when he gave testimony at the murder trial, the lawyers never asked him about that relationship either.
So seemingly damning was this first SD that the very next day, Bala took everyone by surprise when he came out with a second SD that not only retracted the entire contents of the first but also specifically named as being untrue all the parts that referred to Najib.
Since then, businessman Deepak Jaikishan has come out to divulge that he was involved in getting Bala to make the second SD, together with Najib’s brother, Nazim. He said he did this at the request of Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, and that Najib arranged for a senior lawyer to prepare the second SD. He said he regretted getting involved: “It was the biggest mistake I have made.”
Does this vindicate Bala? Well, it depends on whether Deepak is telling the truth. Najib has said Deepak is “not credible” and dismissed what he has revealed as “not an issue”, even though it reinforces Bala’s statement that Najib allegedly knew Altantuya.
And now to further consolidate Deepak’s allegations about the second SD, Bala’s lawyer, Americk Singh, has disclosed to the Bar Council that the senior lawyer who Deepak said prepared it is Cecil Abraham.
Americk said Cecil disclosed this to him in confidence, and – even more interesting – that Cecil said he was acting on instructions from Najib.
Americk apologised to Cecil for breaking his promise of confidence, but felt he had to make it for the sake of carrying on Bala’s quest for justice. To many, Americk did the right thing.
The obvious next step now is for the relevant authorities to query Cecil to verify if this is true. Of course, it could still be one man’s word against the other’s. If Cecil did prepare the second SD knowing that it would contradict Bala’s true intent, he would be guilty of professional misconduct. But if he denies it, and assuming that he believes Bala’s first SD to be true, he would be maligning the word of a man who has just died.
It will be a tough call for Cecil. And even if he were to admit that it was Najib who gave him the instructions, it still may not prove anything unless he has black-and-white evidence of those instructions, or someone else was present to corroborate the fact.
In view of all the allegations that have come about and the keenness of Malaysians to get to the bottom of the murder mystery, perhaps it’s time for everyone concerned to do the right thing. Including Najib.
Some of the pieces seem to fit, and although the picture that emerges may be hazy and inconclusive, his face keeps popping up because of certain circumstances. For example, the two men who have been convicted were at the time of the murder serving as bodyguards to then prime minister Abdullah Badawi and also to Najib. And DSP Musa Safri, who is said to have been a potentially important witness but never called to the stand, was Najib’s aide-de-camp then.
At some point, Najib must surely have to come out and categorically debunk the allegations. Saying that Deepak lacks credibility is not enough to convince the people. And although Najib has sworn on the Quran that he has never met Altantuya, this may not satisfy logical minds.
The impression one gets is that Najib prefers to ignore the issue so that it won’t get any bigger, and that he hopes people will in time forget. But the issue is not getting smaller, and people have not forgotten after seven years.
As such, Najib is being confronted with a big dilemma. As the plot of the Altantuya mystery continues to thicken and he continues to distance himself from it, he could be leading the ruling party into the upcoming general election with an albatross around his neck.
*Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More!
Thickens? No. Its clear as daylight. Najib is a criminal. Period. The extent can only be known if UMNO/BN is out of power and even then maybe never all of his crimes..
UMNO/BN is mafiosi meaning murder included. Altantuya is not the first murder by their hands. Period. We are either pathetic victims undeserving of basic respect if they still hold power come this GE..
Its amazing that the police personnel are on Najib’s security and bodyguard team and yet there have been convicted. Hmmmm…..
Wonder what’s next? Will they spill the beans if they are offered protection? Only time will tell or if PR forms the next Govt after GE13.
///And even if he were to admit that it was Najib who gave him the instructions, it still may not prove anything unless he has black-and-white evidence of those instructions, or someone else was present to corroborate the fact.///
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Evidence does not mean written evidence only and nothing else. What one sees or hears or smells too are valuable evidence. All evidence are good evidence if they are direct evidence. Direct evidence means evidence that a witness saw, heard etc personally. Eg. I smell “durian” in the premises could be tendered as evidence that durian was present at or consumed on the premises. Or “I heard a man shouting ‘dr mamak pls stop operating the Monster brand baking machine'” could be tendered as evidence that dr mamak was operating the machine at that time.
“At some point, Najib must surely have to come out and categorically debunk the allegations…”
That point would be when UMNO looses these elections which is why our cassanova is going all out to win…if UMNO looses, he is dead meat…even if UMNO scrapes by…UMNO remnants will still go after his skin and Rosmah’s……
Our immigration fellas should watch out for this guy splitting the scene and if he is going to use his private jet…our Air Force should be alerted and on standby now..
There was no escape fro Saddam and Ghaddafi…hope our chaps remain super alert…
“At some point, Najib must surely have to come out and categorically debunk the allegations…”
That point would be when UMNO looses these elections which is why Najib is going all out to win…if UMNO looses, he is dead meat…even if UMNO scrapes by…UMNO remnants will still go after his skin and Rosmah’s……
Our immigration fellas should watch out for this guy splitting the scene and if he is going to use his private jet…our Air Force should be alerted and on standby now..
There was no escape fro Saddam and Ghaddafi…hope our chaps remain super alert…
Looks like crime is legal if you are in the government.
Kee TC said: “If Cecil did prepare the second SD KNOWING that it would contradict Bala’s true intent, he would be guilty of professional misconduct.”. But did Cecil KNOW? Bala’s lawyer Americk said on record “my client does not know the identity of the lawyer(s) who drafted this 2nd SD”. This means the lawyer also didn’t know Bala. This being the case how would Cecil know whether or not 2nd SD contents would reflect or contradict Bala’s true intent? Cecil prepared it because he was directed by higher up to draft it and Cecil wouldn’t know whether 2nd SD was voluntarily signed or forced to be signed by Bala unless he was not just preparing the SD wordings but was present as witness and provided opportunity to ask Bala if he read knew and understood what he was signing. It seems to me the person present and whose duty it was to ensure Bala knew what he was signing was the Commissioner for Oath witnessing Bala’s signature. This being the case it would be the Commissioner for Oath and not Cecil who was blameworthy of professional misconduct. Cecil was prepared to tell Americk this in confidence because he knew when push comes to shove such revelation could not establish professional misconduct in strict sense no matter the bad publicity. The Bar Council’s case against Cecil may be defended.
“And although Najib has sworn on the Quran that he has never met Altantuya, this may not satisfy logical minds.”
Someone has said that if swearing on holy books (Quran, Bible or Bhagadvagita etc.) is credible evidence, then there would be no more criminals in the world.
Or as Shakespeare said: “Swear carrions, priests and men cautelous….”
Cecil only just admited to Americk la.Aiyoh..haiiih..
He can swear on his father’s grave for who cares..
“Whatever the motive was, it is a matter of law that the motive, although relevant, has never been the essential to constitute murder,” – Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin in his 70-page judgment.
Movie “A Few Good Men”, featuring : In the heart of the nation’s capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth.
Key quotes :
1. Are you going to do any actual investigating, or are you just going to take the guided tour?
2. This is a sales pitch. It’s not going to be won by the law, it’s going to be won by the lawyers.
If these 2 officers are in duty? Motive is not ‘essential’ but ‘order’ is, in armed forces.
Who issues the ‘code red’? If yes, it is an order. Then, they are merely executing an order.
We fail to stand up for the dead, we fail to stand up for the right process, we fail to stand up for the weak, then, whatever your are standing up for is pointless.
You should all read the pile of ssshhhiiiiitttt Rosmah said concerning Altantuya …her FLOM title and very expensive gifts.
Back to Altantuya…she said she was at a party on the day….Mongolian lady got murdered………..hahahahahahahahaha
More than 150 comments at Malaysiakini blog….all are laughing.
For those who do not subscribe to Malaysiakini….she said she received many expensive watches and not polite if she does not wear them. All those gifts are Govt. property…..not belong to her.
And she said her FLOM title is appropriate…with tons of commentators reminding her…that her husband was not elected…but appointed and the title belongs to Presidents wife..never a PM.
Best of all……….Mahathir recommends her book to be placed in every school.
hard fact evidence guy, too much of CSI, TV , Hollywood , Bollywood and headwood . the next plot KT Chye will be a candidate for Dapter in Subang eh
Fantastic!!
Chengho is the smartest.
He is smarter in ChangeHoles, dude!!!