Mongolia has formally lodged a diplomatic protest with Malaysia regarding the legal handling of the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, urging authorities to guarantee a fair judicial process and deliver answers to her family nearly two decades after her death.
Former Mongolian Prime Minister Zandanshatar Gombojav, currently serving as Mongolia's special envoy and member of a high-level government task force supporting the victim's family, announced the move during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. He stated that a diplomatic protest note sent on Tuesday outlined four specific requests: a fair review of a recent appellate court decision, an examination of potentially new evidence, an official written response to the Mongolian government, and the extradition of a convicted officer currently in Australia so he can provide testimony.
“Twenty years have passed, and her family has endured unimaginable loss without ever hearing the words ‘I am sorry.’ A fair and final resolution of this case matters greatly to the trust between our two countries,” Zandanshatar told reporters.
Altantuya Shaariibuu was 28 years old and pregnant when she was shot dead and her body destroyed with military-grade plastic explosives in a jungle area outside Kuala Lumpur in October 2006. At the time, she was working as a translator for political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of then-Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Najib Razak. The killing fueled widespread speculation that she was targeted to prevent her from revealing alleged corruption surrounding Malaysia's acquisition of submarines from France.
Two officers from an elite police unit assigned as Najib's bodyguards were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. Abdul Razak was tried alongside them but was acquitted of abetting the crime, and Malaysian courts never established who ordered the killing. Najib, who later became prime minister before losing power in the 2018 general elections and subsequently being jailed for financial graft, has repeatedly denied any involvement.
The legal battle surrounding the case moved into civil court when Altantuya's family sued the two policemen, Abdul Razak, and the Malaysian government for shock and trauma. In 2022, a Malaysian High Court ruled all defendants liable, awarding the family 5 million ringgit ($1.2 million) in damages. However, Malaysia's Court of Appeal overturned the state's liability in January, concluding that the officers' actions were outside their official duties, while also reducing the total damages to 1.4 million ringgit ($343,000). Zandanshatar expressed that Mongolia "profoundly regret the decision," which the family is currently appealing.
The task force envoy emphasized that testimony from both convicted officers remains critical to achieving justice. One officer is currently serving a sentence in Malaysia after his death penalty was commuted to 40 years in prison in 2024. In 2019, that officer released a statutory declaration alleging Najib gave the instruction to kill Altantuya. The second officer fled to Australia while appealing his conviction and has similarly indicated that higher authorities gave the command. While a revised investigation opened after 2018 produced no definitive conclusions, Australia's policy against extraditing individuals facing capital punishment continues to hinder efforts to secure the second officer's return, prompting Mongolia to urge accelerated negotiations between Kuala Lumpur and Canberra.
