Altantuyaa The Need For Public Inquiry On Twilight Zone

Disgraced Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri allegedly confessed about extraordinary happenings in the twilight zone before Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuugiin was blown up!

Commentary And Analysis . . . Disgraced Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar has been singing like a bird, afterthought on the surface, with the TV station in Australia on Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuugiin. She was blown up on 18 October 2006, for those unfamiliar, in a deserted spot in Shah Alam.

It’s believed that the afterthought was never expressed in court. Sirul never mentioned, during the TV interview, the RM100m civil suit against him, “comrade in crime” disgraced Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, and one-time political confidant Abdul Razak Baginda. The suit was initiated by Altantuyaa’s family. The Federal court awarded them RM5m last December.

If not for an angler in the area who heard loud explosion, presumably from the deserted spot, the Altantuyaa killing may have never seen the light of day. He lodged a police report. The rest remains history which has become controversial in more ways than one.

The Sirul interview, observed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, has sparked unfounded speculation.

The IGP, in urging Sirul, said that the fugitive should lodge police report if he has any new evidence on the Altantuyaa murder case. We can’t rule out the possibility that the Sirul interview may be red herring, perhaps put out by any number of sources, including presumably the ever present “deep state” i.e. if it exists. That has all the makings of a Hollywood-style movie.

Migration consultant and manager Robert Chelliah, who handled Sirul’s case for protection visa in Australia, posted in facebook quite some time ago that the somewhat “difficult” client in fact knows nothing. The facebook post implies that Chelliah was dismissed by Sirul.

Altantuyaa Public Inquiry

Lawyer Americk Sidhu, who represented the late private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, has allegedly jumped on the Sirul bandwagon on Altantuyaa.

His comments on the Sirul interview, poking holes here and there and all over the place, could not be independently verified. The comments, which mention Chelliah and five other civilians and three Special Branch (SB) operatives, are making the rounds in whatsApp. If “true”, lawyer Americk’s comments should appear in the media.

It’s public knowledge that dictatorial former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad’s underlings visited Sirul at the Villawood Detention Centre in New South Wales. They were on fishing expedition — read Najib — but went away empty-handed. More on the Sirul interview later.

Twilight Zone

The elephant in the room, on the Sirul interview, may be what Azilah allegedly told Baginda. They were about extraordinary happenings in the twilight zone — read extrajudicial killings and/or extraordinary events and incidents and phenomenon — before Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuugiin was blown up on 18 October 2006.

Apparently, based on Baginda in court, Azilah confessed that he killed six people previously on the same spot where Altantuyaa met grisly end. That may be the reason why Baginda, one time Najib confidant at a political think tank, was freed. The court, based purely on the rule of law, could not find any link between then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Baginda on the Altantuyaa killing. It’s telling that Najib wasn’t party in the RM100m civil suit.

Missing The Forest

The singular focus on Altantuyaa, since 2006, may be missing the forest for the tree.

If Altantuyaa was the tip of the proverbial iceberg, the mysterious murder sees the need for Public Inquiry on extraordinary happenings in the twilight zone.

The Public Inquiry, in the form of Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and/or South Africa-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission, may help determine whether extraordinary happenings take place.

In the case of extrajudicial killings, it may be deep state operation — the stuff of spy movies — for eliminating “enemies of the state”. It may not be surprising if probably rogue elements, for want of better term, in the UTK (Unit Tindakan Khas or Special Operations Unit) were involved.

Altantuyaa may have been classified as “enemy of the state” even before she asked for the RM500K allegedly promised her for helping, as Translator, with the submarine procurement from France. We stand corrected.

The money, if any, may not have been the issue.

The issue may be that Altantuyaa was privy, inadvertently or otherwise, to the submarine procurement process. She, linked with Baginda as “lover”, may not have been involved on a “need to know basis”. So, she was killed. France, based on publicly known facts, may be still investigating Malaysia’s purchase of the two submarines, despite Altantuyaa being no longer in the picture.

The submarines, blind versions in the sense that they can’t see, were stationed in Sabah. Initially, the media reported that the submarines couldn’t dive and that the manuals were in French. Many of the Navy personnel knew no English.

Extraordinary Happenings

Extraordinary happenings, in retrospect, have hogged the media limelight since independence on 31 August 1957 in Malaya and Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

The people of Sarawak, for example, have lost sovereignty. Small group, in cahoots with successive Federal governments, holds absolute power.

The government of Sarawak has not changed since 1966 when Chief Minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan was ousted by Emergency declared by the Tunku Abdul Rahman Administration. Ningkan, having become case law on the discretion of the Governor, applies in states with no Sultan. The 2009 Perak case law applies in sultanates.

It’s the duty of the international community, under international law, to restore sovereignty to a people who have lost it.

Sarawak, 70 per cent Christian and majority Orang Asal, does not allow O Holy night for Christmas.

TV on Mon showed the Sunak family at No. 10 doorway. The wife from south India, in saree, held tray of Hindu prayer items.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, grandson of Tamil Hindu Brahmin on the paternal side, remains silent on Penang not allowing Tamil songs at festival.

Mahathir claims only spoonfuls of blood (Indian) and denies family roots in Kerala, southwest India.

May 13

In 1969, week long disturbances broke out in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on 13 May. The report on the disturbances remains classified.

Article 153 has been rendered redundant by 15 year sunset clause which was repealed after 1969. Only NCR (native customary rights) land exists for Orang Asal (Original People) in the former British Borneo and Orang Asli (aboriginal people) in Malaya.

In 1976, on 6 June, a mysterious aircrash took the life of newly-elected Sabah Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and several members of the Cabinet.

Stephens reportedly held out on an oil agreement with Petronas, the national oil corporation, and the Federal government under Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. The report on the aircrash was recently declassified by the Australian and Malaysian governments. It added nothing new. They were publicly known facts.

Again, in Sabah, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) probed the Projek IC Mahathir which allegedly placed illegal immigrants in the electoral rolls. If so, the sovereignty of the people and in particular the Orang Asal were compromised. The downfall of the Joseph Pairin Kitingan Administration (1985 — 1994) was blamed on the Projek IC Mahathir.

In 1991, Pairin’s brother Jeffrey Kitingan was detained under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) until January 1994. He was blamed for speaking up and speaking out on Borneo rights. The ISA, until it was repealed by Najib after 2009, provided for detention without trial.

Other Happenings In Malaya

Then, there were series of extraordinary happenings in Malaya. These include the Memali incident in 1985, Operation Lallang in 1987, and the Kampung Medan riots in 2001.

Sirul Deportation

We resume on the Sirul TV interview where he may have conceded that he was party to illegalities. It’s inconceivable that he had legal advice before the TV interview. It wouldn’t be surprising if more such interviews take place for no rhyme or reason.

A case, once closed, will not be re-opened unless there’s retrial. The court may be reluctant on revisiting any case on “new evidence” even if they may not be irrelevant and immaterial.

It’s virtually impossible that the Australian government deports Sirul even if Azilah, on death row, escapes the death penalty on review. The mandatory death penalty has been abolished in Malaysia but capital punishment stays. The judge has discretion. So, Sirul isn’t going anywhere in a hurry soon.

The jury may no longer be out since Chief Justice Tun Richard Malanjum’s Farewell Address in 2019 on the rule of law in Malaysia. Malanjum cautioned the legal fraternity and court that the letter of the law, by itself, isn’t law and was in fact about acting with impunity.

Najib, the most infamous example on violation of the rule of law, was jailed unrepresented on 23 August last year. The RM42m SRC International conviction wasn’t perfected in law for perfection in law. Najib awaits UN Review on arbitrary detention as political prisoner who wasn’t placed under house arrest but held in prison along with common criminals.

Judge Datuk Hamid Sultan Backer, suspended six months before retirement, has advised in recent days that Najib’s family file habeas corpus application for his release and/or file Petition for Pardon before the Conference of Rulers.

Federal Court Review Panel Head Judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli ruled DNA (discharge and acquittal) for Najib on 31 March this year. — NMH

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Joe Fernandez
Longtime Borneo watcher Joe Fernandez has been writing for many years on both sides of the Southeast Asia Sea. He should not be mistaken for a namesake formerly with the Daily Express in Kota Kinabalu. JF keeps a Blog under FernzTheGreat on the nature of human relationships.

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