"MCA" burning the case, PMO just watch and see?

Someone told us that The Star's frontpage headline yesterday was "Who killed Altantunya?"

It is unfortunate that we can't find the image on the Internet, otherwise we would have used it instead of an image of Nero fiddling as he watch and see Rome burn to dust.

He felt MCA's own newspaper is trying hard to incite public anger on the issue. Knowing the party allegiance of those like June Wong, Leanne Goh, Wong Siah Ping, Martin Vendesan, Regina Lee, and many more [Read ... indeep tots here, Helen Ang here and The Unspinners here], it is only expected.

Our concern is more on: Will PMO still repeat the same old game 7 years ago of keeping quiet hoping that everything will quiet down, which it never did?

This one will not quiet down. [Read past posting here and Bigdog here.]

The Star article yesterday reads below as:

Published: Friday August 23, 2013 MYT 7:55:00 PM
Updated: Friday August 23, 2013 MYT 8:10:55 PM

Altantuya murder case: More questions than answers

By TASHNY SUKUMARAN, RAHMAH GHAZALI, MICHELLE TAM, QISHIN TARIQ and VICTORIA BROWN

C/Insp Azilah Hadri (left) and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar during the trial in 2009

PETALING JAYA: Seven years ago, a woman was murdered and her body blown up in an attempt to conceal the evidence.

Today, after a number of high-profile trials and acquittals, the truth behind the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu remains a mystery.

Altantuya Shaariibuu

The acquittal and release of Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar and C/Insp Azilah Hadri, the two former Special Action Unit Personnel members, who were found guilty and sentenced to death in 2009 for her murder, has raised calls for further inquiry into the Altantuya murder case.

"There should be an independent inquiry into the conduct of the prosecution in the Altantuya case," said DAP National Legal Bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo in a statement.

"The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal of Sirul and Azilah citing, amongst other things, a failure on part of the prosecution to call a material witness, one DSP Musa Safri, a former aide de camp of the Prime Minister," he said.

Gobind claimed that not calling this witness resulted in their case collapsing.

"The Attorney-General and his team ought to have known that he was an important witness. They have vast experience in handling cases like these and they know for a fact that they would run a serious risk of having their case thrown out for failure of calling him," he said.

He said that it raised questions as to whether there had been "proper investigations and a proper presentation of evidence in court".

"We cannot allow these concerns to go unanswered. There must be an independent inquiry by people who are not associated with the AG's chambers to review the investigation papers and to report back as to the propriety of the conduct of the prosecution in this case," said the Puchong MP.

Deputy Solicitor General II Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah who led the prosecution said that they would be appealing the Court of Appeal's judgement.

Another option to seek justice for Altantuya lies in the civil court.

Her father, Dr Setev Shaariibuu will pursue the RM100mil civil suit against the two officers acquitted of her murder, said his counsel Karpal Singh.

Karpal, who is holding a watching brief for Shaariibuu, said he will push for the suit to be heard as soon as the criminal case is settled in the Federal Court.

"I am writing to the Mongolian embassy, to whom I also represent," he said.

"I have not received instructions from Mr Setev. However, he is bound to contact me," said Karpal, added that he was sure Altantuya's father was aware of the outcome of the appeal.

Other news portals reported Setev had asked the Mongolian government to intervene in the matter, however, Bar Council president Christopher Leong believes there is nothing much that it can do.

"This is a criminal matter that is now within the purview of the courts, and there should not be any interference in the judicial process by any quarter," said Leong.

The case is clearly a polarising one, with some political implications.

Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, in charge of legal affairs at the time of prosecution, declined to comment.

Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who was Inspector-General of Police at the time the case came to light, was equally tight-lipped, saying, "It's the court's decision. No comment is needed".

PKR vice-president and Padang Serai MP N.Surendran said the trial of Altantuya's killers "was a charade from the beginning".

"Now no one has been found guilty or punished for Altantuya's murder. Is this justice? It is a national embarrassment and failure of justice," the lawyer told The Star Online.

Azmi Sharom, a law professor, said the public had forgotten about the case but its ghost has risen again.

"There will be all these conspiracy theories coming up saying that the relevant authorities purposely did a bad job so that they can overturn the conviction.

"In a high-profile case like this, a lot of questions will be raised. Issues like why certain things weren't brought up in trial as well as questions about the standards of the prosecutor," he said.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the former Minister in charge of legal affairs, posted several tweets on the acquittal.

One read: "I am disappointed with the Court of Appeal judges. Not for acquittal but for failing to order a retrial #fb".

"In the interest of justice, a balanced retrial would have been appropriate. Now it's not possible," said Zaid when contacted.

He said that if a retrial had been ordered, it would allow both sides to take another look at the case as "witnesses can be called again, to get justice".

"I think the decision to acquit those two puts an end to this case altogether. Under the double jeopardy law, they can't be tried for the same charges again," said Zaid.

According to him, the Court of Appeal in England can order a retrial as the law sets out certain circumstances allowing it.

"I believe the rules in Malaysia are the same. There should not be an acquittal when something seems to suggest that it's not right - in our case, there was a prior conviction," he said.

He said the Court of Appeal itself had pointed out several flaws in the earlier trial: unclear evidence, material discrepancies, and the failure to call key witnesses.

"Obviously, the prosecutor didn't do a proper job. At the same time, I think there was enough evidence to suggest the two were involved in some way. Otherwise, the first judge wouldn't have convicted them," he added.

To Leong, questions have been raised as to the conduct of the police investigations and the prosecution in this case.

"At the moment, it appears that no one is to be held accountable for Altantuya's murder. This case has left many questions unanswered. It begs the further question of 'Who does one turn to for justice in Malaysia when one's child is murdered?", he said.

Suaram secretariat member Cynthia Gabriel said the verdict raised more unanswered questions.

"The fundamental questions remain unanswered. No one has paid for her death, no one knows why she was killed and who gave the instruction to kill her," she said when contacted.

Gabriel said the only way for the public seek the truth was through an independent inquiry to determine the circumstances of the death.

Noticeable is that those quoted are only legal and opposition personalities.

An MCA-owned newspaper is trying to incite public anger and yet the National Communication Team seemed quiet. Those people linked to the NCT must be too sleepy from a full stomach from the Hari Raya Open Houses on top of the big payoff from the BN Manifesto mark-up scandal.

As far as PMO's media team, our worry is that like the last time the murder and Scorpene submarine scandal broke, they will just give a standard answer and instruct everybody to "playdown". They hope everyone will get tired and the case will quiet down naturally.

One will expect there will be that cliche style of arguing like this is a normal process of the court and the decision can only be a win or lose or overturn. There will be futile attempt to link it to Anwar's technical acquital on both his sodomy cases despite knowing the public and opposition will just ignore it.

Because of the playdown game they played, both cases was expanded into a slanderous accusation towards the Prime Minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Strangely, Prime Minister's Office staff still kept to the same playbook as though the opposition and public will get tired. That came at the expense of Rosmah's public image.

There must be numbnuts in the PMOs who was thinking that by letting the case be diverted to Rosmah, it would have saved Najib. The problem is that the opposition wanted to discredit Rosmah so that she can weigh down on Najib.

Too much involvement with Mount Everest expeditions, writing cartoon books, and decorating themselves with Pingat Kedaulatan Negara, instead of diligently serving the PM only makes a certain mediocre sekolah Melayu reporter more arrogant in their heightened mediocrity.

Never mind if they will advise the PM to ignore independent pro-BN bloggers. PM will not listen to such advise just like he doesn't believe that pro-BN bloggers was able to address 8 out of 10 issues raised by the opposition.

PM knows the guy was syok sendiri masturbating himself silly.

Only problem is PM had just extended the contract of a merchandiser for 1Malaysia slogan that failed miseraby in the last general election but now coming up with a new slogan "Endless Possibilities."

If he had bothered to google, he would have not landed himself in another controversy like APCO. He is now in a hot soup for the similarity of the slogan with Israel's slogan although it could be Mongolian. [Read Rocky Bru here]

Goodness sake, enough of sloganeering but work and action please. "Endless Possibilities" could be negatively interpreted as directionless and poor planning government. It fits in with the negative image and failure of PEMANDU.

This Dato is no political strategist but merely and A&P man.

Another way of describing is that he is a marketing man with no understanding of product development but only promote, promote and promote. MAS's former Managing Director, Dato Fuad Dahlan and many marketeers failed. Other marketing savvy personalities will fail as CEO and GLC CEO. 

The guy was supposed to be the face and not the brain for a television station. When managing the television station, he was only known for Sure Heboh which was only a funfair concept. He moved up by bodek-ing the late former Prime Minister's wife. 

It is heard that there is a suspicion that he made millions and now goes around in a Porsche by milking BN's campaign fund for the recent general election through the purchase of RM5 multi-colored T shirts at RM7 a piece.

He thought by confusing the public with his T shirt with colors similar to anti-Lynas, Royalti Minyak, Bersih and Blackout groups, it will neutralise their message. Oh bodoh ... one can only do that by being reacting fast whenever the opposition start to promote those colors.

He forgot that in the political campaign structure of BN, there are so many Chief and no Indians that nothing can get done fast. Not when there is a psychotic like JJ who thinks only his idea matter and will bulldoze down other ieas irrespective if it was a collective decision.

Political campaign cannot be run by a committee but to leave it to an able general to lead the army. He must exude confidence and command the respect and loyalty from his list of honest and able lieutenants to move the soldiers victoriously to the political battleground.

We know of one which have been whispered to a few leaders. Hopefully it happens after PAU or UMNO will be a piece of Pau Ahmad.

As far as those at PMO, work with the PM and not for themselves!