2006: ATLANTUYA SHAARIIBUU

Atlantuya Shaariibuu (Wikipedia)

On October 19, 2006, Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year-old Mongolian translator and model, was abducted in front of a house in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. This event sparked one of the most sensational and politically charged murder cases in Malaysian history.

The Events of October 19, 2006

Altantuya had traveled to Malaysia to confront Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent political analyst and former lover, allegedly over a payment dispute related to a French submarine deal.

• The Abduction: Around 10:00 PM on October 19, she was taken from outside Baginda's residence by members of the Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK), an elite police tactical unit.
• The Murder: She was driven to a remote forest area in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam. Forensic evidence later suggested she was shot twice in the head before her body was destroyed using military-grade C4 explosives to prevent identification. Her remains were not discovered until November 7, 2006.

Key Figures and Legal Outcomes

The case involved high-ranking officials and elite security personnel, leading to years of legal battles:

Person	Role/Connection	Legal Outcome
Azilah Hadri	UTK Chief Inspector	Convicted and sentenced to death (later commuted to 40 years' imprisonment in 2024).
Sirul Azhar Umar	UTK Corporal	Convicted and sentenced to death. He fled to Australia in 2014 and was recently released from immigration detention there in late 2023.
Abdul Razak Baginda	Political Analyst	Charged with abetting the murder but acquitted in 2008 without his defense being called.
Najib Razak	Former PM	Often linked in public discourse due to the perpetrators being his bodyguards; however, he has consistently denied any involvement or knowledge of the victim.

Recent Developments (2024–2026)

As of early 2026, the case remains a significant legal and political topic in Malaysia:

• Civil Suit: In late 2022, the Shah Alam High Court awarded Altantuya’s family RM5 million in damages. Appeals by the government and Abdul Razak Baginda regarding this payout were set for a decision in January 2026.
• Commutation of Sentence: In 2024, following Malaysia's abolition of the mandatory death penalty, Azilah Hadri’s death sentence was commuted to 40 years in prison.
• Defamation Suit Drop: Notably, on January 19, 2026, Najib Razak dropped a defamation suit against former AG Tommy Thomas after the latter clarified there was no evidence directly linking Najib to the murder.

Google Gemini AI

19 January 2026: 11.09 p.m