SHAH ALAM, Jan 30 — The son of the slain Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu told the High Court here today that their family went through a lot of difficulties and had a challenging life after her death.
Testifying as the fourth witness in the family’s RM100 million suit against the Malaysian government, Mungunshagai Bayarjargal, who was nine at the time, said he had a tough time coping with his mother’s passing.
“It was very hurtful when people around me were always talking about her murder in Malaysia, especially in Ulaanbaatar, where the community is small and everyone knows each other. It was totally unbearable for me as a young child.
“For the first three years or so, I had to spend my three summer vacations living with relatives in the countryside just to escape the gossip over my mother’s murder in Malaysia.
“It was a very lonely, painful and sad time growing up as I remember clearly listening to my friends’ parents telling their children not to play with me just because my mother was murdered in Malaysia,” he said.
Mungunshagai said he had to change his name to Bayarkhuu Bayarjargal later in life to escape the negative stigma surrounding his mother’s death.
“In 2011 or 2012, I changed my name. l had to change my name due to the negative attention that I received after my mother’s death.
“After her death and as a result of all the negative publicity from that, I was often bullied and teased in school. After years of enduring this, my grandfather and I discussed it and we decided it would be best for me to change my name,” he said, referring to Shariibuu Setev.
Mungunshagai also revealed that he was forced to break up with his girlfriend of three years after her family discovered that he was Altantuya’s son.
Despite it all, Mungunshagai remembered Altantuya as a loving mother who cared for him and his younger brother, Altanshagai Munkhtulga.
“She was very loving and adventurous. She would always take us out and play with us when she’s around. My fondest memories are of the times that we spent together.
“She often took us out to the movies, for picnics and to playgrounds. This is something that my grandparents cannot do for us due to their age, health and financial situation,” he said.
Last Monday, Shariibuu testified in court that the family had fallen apart without Altantuya and that the responsibilities to care for her youngest child, Altanshagai who suffered cerebral palsy fell on him and his wife.
Altantuya’s parents Shariibuu and Altantsetseg Sanjaa, and Altantuya’s two sons had on June 4, 2007 filed the civil lawsuit to claim compensation for the mental shock and psychological trauma they suffered over her death.
However, Altantuya’s younger son, 15-year-old Alatanshagai Munkhtukga, was removed as a plaintiff following his death in 2017.
In the lawsuit where Altantuya’s family is seeking RM100 million as compensation, Sirul Azhar Umar, Azilah Hadri, Abdul Razak and the government of Malaysia were named as defendants.
Sirul and Azilah were convicted by the High Court in 2009 of killing Altantuya. They succeeded in overturning their convictions at the Court of Appeal in 2013, but the Federal Court in 2015 restored their convictions and sentenced them to death.
Abdul Razak, who was accused of abetting the two former police officers in her murder, was acquitted.
Sirul fled to Australia after the death sentence was handed down and is currently in detention there as Australian laws do not allow the extradition of anyone to a country where he or she may be subjected to the death penalty.
Azilah is on death row here.
