Mongolia Escalates Altantuya Case: Diplomatic Protest Demands Fair Review

Mongolian officials formally protested Malaysia's handling of the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu on Tuesday, demanding a fair legal review and specific answers from Kuala Lumpur. The diplomatic note was delivered by Zandanshatar Gombojav, a former Mongolian prime minister who now serves as a special envoy for the case.

Shaariibuu, who was 28 and pregnant at the time of her death, was killed in October 2006 outside Kuala Lumpur. Police found her body in a jungle clearing after it had been shot and blown apart with military-grade plastic explosives. Her death triggered a major political scandal in Malaysia that has persisted for two decades.

The case became closely linked to Najib Razak, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2018. Two members of an elite police unit that served as Najib's bodyguards were convicted of the murder. Abdul Razak Baginda, a close aide to Najib and Shaariibuu's former lover, was tried for abetting the crime but acquitted. Investigators never definitively established who ordered the killing.

Gombojav stated that Mongolia sent the protest note with four primary requests. These include a fair review of a recent court ruling, the return of a convicted officer who escaped to Australia, an examination of potentially new evidence, and an official written response from the Malaysian government. He noted that the family has waited 20 years for an official apology.

The diplomatic action follows a January 2026 decision by Malaysia's Court of Appeal that altered the outcome of a civil suit filed by Shaariibuu's family. In 2022, a lower court had ruled that the government, the two policemen, and Baginda were liable for the family's shock and trauma, awarding 5 million ringgit, or approximately $1.2 million, in damages.

The Court of Appeal reversed that decision in January. It reduced the damages to 1.4 million ringgit, about $343,000, and determined that the Malaysian government was not liable. The court reasoned that the policemen's conduct fell outside the scope of their official duties. Shaariibuu's family has challenged this appellate ruling.

One of the two convicted policemen fled to Australia while appealing his conviction. He remains there as his death sentence presents a major obstacle to extradition. Gombojav urged Malaysia to intensify talks with Australia to secure the officer's return so he can testify in the civil suit. The other policeman is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence in Malaysia after his death sentence was commuted in 2024.

The imprisoned officer reportedly made a statutory declaration in 2019 alleging that Najib ordered the killing. The officer in Australia has also made statements suggesting the murder was carried out on orders from higher authorities. Najib has repeatedly denied involvement in the case. He was imprisoned in 2018 for a separate financial scandal after his party lost power in a general election.

Speculation has long centered on the possibility that Shaariibuu was silenced to prevent her from exposing corruption. She worked as a translator for Baginda and was involved in discussions regarding the purchase of submarines from France when Najib served as deputy premier and defense minister. A new government reopened investigations into her death following family appeals, but the process yielded no clear outcome.

Gombojav emphasized that resolving the case matters to the trust between the two nations. He told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the family has endured loss without hearing an official expression of regret. The Mongolian task force continues to push for a final resolution to the legal disputes surrounding Shaariibuu's death.