PUTRAJAYA, July 15 — The Federal Court has rescheduled to October 27 the hearing of an application by the family of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu for leave to appeal a Court of Appeal decision that reduced the damages awarded in their civil suit over her 2006 death.
Lawyer Abraham Au, representing political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, confirmed when contacted by Bernama that the hearing, which had been scheduled for today, was vacated by the court.
Altantuya’s family filed the leave application on February 19 this year, seeking to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision to reduce the damages awarded to them from RM5 million to RM1.4 million.
On January 20, the Court of Appeal also ruled that the government was not vicariously liable for the actions of former police officers Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri.
The family filed the civil suit in 2007 against Abdul Razak, Azilah, Sirul Azhar and the government, seeking RM100 million in damages on the grounds that Altantuya’s death had caused them severe mental anguish and psychological trauma.
In 2022, the Shah Alam High Court ordered the defendants to pay RM5 million in damages to the family.
Azilah and Sirul Azhar were convicted of Altantuya’s murder in 2009. Although the Court of Appeal later acquitted and discharged them, the Federal Court overturned the acquittal and reinstated their convictions in 2015.
In 2023, the Federal Court commuted Azilah’s death sentence to 40 years’ imprisonment after allowing his review application under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023. — Bernama
