Najib: I'm innocent, I didn't order Altantuya's murder

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has again stressed that he had no role in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, stating that he never knew, met, or ordered her killing.

Testifying at the Shah Alam High Court today, Najib responded to questions posed by his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

The counsel asked if Najib had any knowledge of or connection to Altantuya, as claimed in chapter 42 of the book “My Story: Justice In The Wilderness” by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas.

“I have never known her, never met her, and I have never given such an order. I am innocent of the heinous crime, I am not involved in Altantuya’s murder.

“I have stated this on record and sworn this on multiple occasions,” the former premier said at the first full hearing of his defamation suit against Thomas.

The witness statement came on the heels of Najib’s former bodyguard Azilah Hadri escaping the gallows yesterday as the Federal Court commuted the latter’s sentence to 40 years imprisonment plus 12 strokes of cane for the murder of the 28-year-old model.

Failure to verify sources

Najib also criticised Thomas for failing to verify the claims made in the book, which was widely distributed in Malaysia and internationally.

After leaving the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Najib said Thomas wrote content that was prejudicial during the 1MDB trial.

READ MORE: The Altantuya murder - a recap

"It is clear that he intended to smear my reputation," he said.

When asked about his connection to Abdul Razak Baginda, Najib acknowledged knowing the defence analyst, who was involved in the Defence Ministry's acquisition of two French Scorpene-class submarines during Najib’s tenure as the defence minister.

However, he maintained that he was unaware of Razak’s relationship with Altantuya until it surfaced in the media.

The trial is set to resume on June 30, 2025, before High Court judge Khadijah Idris.

Also present in court were lawyer Alan Adrian Gomez, representing Thomas, and Ambiga Sreenevasan, acting for the book’s publisher, GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd, the second defendant.

In 2021, Najib, 71, filed a defamation suit against Thomas and the publisher, alleging that the book falsely linked him to Altantuya’s murder.

Najib claimed that Chapter 42 and other sections of the book insinuated that he had ordered the killing of Altantuya by Special Action Unit officers Azilah and Sirul Azhar Umar and that he had misled the public to cover up the crime.

Najib is seeking the removal of the allegedly defamatory statements, an injunction to prevent further publication of such claims, and an apology from both defendants.

He also seeks general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, along with any other relief the court may deem appropriate.

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