Singapore fugitives in JB, part 2

There's been another case of crime in Johor Baru with a Singapore connection.

According to The Star on Monday, a man, who has been on the wanted list in Singapore for 20 years, and two others have been detained in connection with the kidnapping of a businessman’s son in JB.

The report said the three men, in their 20s to 40s, were arrested in a series of raids around the city soon after the 23-year-old victim was released after a ransom of RM600,000 was paid recently. The suspects initially asked for a RM1 million ransom.

The report didn't make it clear whether the mastermind of the plot is a Singaporean, although it said he's a hardcore criminal wanted in Singapore for committing several armed robberies.

This is not the first case of cross-border crime in JB. According to an earlier posting, there were many other fugitives in Singapore who had fled to neighbouring Malaysia such as Singaporean one-eyed dragon Tan Chor Jin and Malaysian Took Leng How in the Huang Na case. They were eventually tracked down by police in the two countries and brought to justice in Singapore.

But the latest kidnapping case in JB is probably eclipsed by the beginning of the sensational case in Kuala Lumpur -- the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu (pix from Guang Ming daily via ST).

The Malaysia press have been working overtime to report the case. Please see The Star, which has posted plenty of pix and video clips of the trial.

Defence analyst Abdul Razak Baginda and two other special action force policemen have been accused of the gruesome murder -- she was shot twice in the head before she was blown to bits by C4 explosives. Razak Baginda has acknowledged having an eight-month extramarital affair with Shaariibuu from late 2004.

Many reports have also said that Razak Baginda is a close associate of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has vehemently denied any involvement in the case.

The Mongolian model case will definitely continue to hog the headlines.

Anti-climax

What an anti-climax (er, no pun intended) in the Mongolian model murder trial. The Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, which was brought forward to today from next year due to intense public interest, has been postponed to June 18 due to the large number of prosecution witnesses.

According to Bernama report on NST today, Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yassin fixed the date after allowing a postponement sought by deputy public prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah who had just taken over the case. The judge also rejected an application for bail for political analyst Razak Baginda (pix from Susan Loone), who is charged with abetting two policemen in committing the sensational murder.

Malaysian blogosphere and the political scene has been abuzz over the last-minute court decision. See Susan Loone, Rocky's Bru, and bigdogdotcom.

The trial must start as soon as possible to prevent any further undue speculation that could prejudice the court of public opinion.

Updated: Rich Malaysians

Some Malaysian politicians and their cronies must be very, very rich. At least, this is what I gather when I look at the pix on Umno Reform showing the fierce campaigning during the by-election in the small area called Ijok in Selangor.

The placards hoisted by members of the opposition Keadilan party are obviously alluding to the huge amount of money pocketed by unnamed politicians of the Barisan National ruling coalition. Keadilan, which is led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, is jostling with Barisan Nasional for the Ijok seat.

The placard suggests that the commission for some fighter jet or defence deal was RM410 million, which is equivalent to more than US$110 million. Of course, the number may not be true or correct. For example, one F/A-18 Hornet, which is part of the Malaysian air force, costs about US$35 million.

Maybe, the placard is referring to a total contract for a bunch of fighter jets. Maybe the alleged commission has to be discounted.

The number may not be quite right, but there is always deep-rooted suspicion that politicians in Malaysia earn big bucks from defence contracts.

How the money from any defence deal is divided remains a mystery. But defence contract money has been linked to the sensational murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu. You can get a more complete picture of the Mongolian saga at Susan Loone.

I'm just simply amazed that there are so many rich Malaysians out there.

Note: The Malaysian Defence Ministry has issued a three-page statement to rebut claims of huge commissions paid to middlemen in defence contracts.

Updated: Malaysia's Eye of the Storm

Another severe monsoon storm will hit rain-soaked Malaysia. According to The Star, seven northern and east coast states are bracing for thunderstorms and possible floods as strong winds may turn into a cyclone. Severe weather is expected to hit Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang till Monday.

The southern states have already been quite badly hit, as noted in earlier postings.

As Malaysia grapples with the fresh bout of floods in the eastern states, another storm is already brewing in the Malaysian capital. All attention is focused on the upcoming trial of murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

(Pix from The Star of Razak Baginda)

The trial has been fixed for March 10 2008* by Shah Alam High Court judge Justice K.N. Segara. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, who has been charged with abetment in the murder of Mongolian beauty, was sent back to prison Friday after he failed to get his bail extended.

(Pix from The Star of Altantuya Shaariibuu)

The trial is set to be highly sensational as Razak Baginda is known to be an associate of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Razak and others in the corridor of power. Razak Baginda is also said to be a middle man in some defence contracts.

The case will be jointly tried with that of two police personnel from the Bukit Aman Special Action Squad -- Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, who were alleged to have blown up the Mongolian girl with C4 explosives after shooting her.

Many questions may or may not be answered. Was she dead before she was blown to bits? Why didn't they deport her instead of silencing her permanently? Are there bigger forces at work? Why were special force policemen involved? How did they get the plastic explosives? Was she involved in defence-related contracts?

It's unfathomable that such a high-profile trial will only be heard next year. The Malaysian courts must expedite the case despite the backlog of cases due to the enormous public interest in the case. An earlier trial will, hopefully, answer some of the nagging questions and help prevent further speculation that may prejudice the case.

An earlier trial and verdict will hopefully bring closure to the most gruesome murder case in Malaysia and, hopefully, placate the wandering spirit of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

* Earlier posting gave the impression it was 2007. Apologies.