ACQUITTAL SET TO SPARK MORE CONTROVERSY - malaysiakini

From Straits Times Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Far from closing the chapter, the acquittal of his former close associate over the murder of a Mongolian beauty is set to reignite controversy surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a former close associate of the Deputy Premier, walked free yesterday after the High Court found no evidence that he had asked two policemen to kill his former lover after their affair went sour.

The decision has thrust Najib back into an unwelcome spotlight even as he is set to take over the premiership from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi next March.

Within minutes of the verdict, it became fresh fodder for renewed attacks on Najib, who is already battling a non-stop flow of allegations of corruption.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fired the first salvo.

“There is growing perception that the investigation was not done professionally. There is a clear motive to cover up, a lot of evidence was not adduced.

“The prosecution has failed to conduct the case professionally. From the beginning, changes were made to the court and the judge.

“Now that there are more allegations involving DPM Najib — the SMSes and evidence the public has raised a number of times — this case clearly is bigger,” Anwar said.

Prominent blogger Rocky Bru wrote: “Many will cry foul. This is going to give a lot of people a heart attack.”

But political observers believe that the storm is likely to pass quickly as, despite the repeated innuendos and allegations, no evidence has surfaced to link Najib to the case.

The momentum carrying him to the top seems unstoppable as he has swept up every single nomination for the Umno presidency from the party's divisions that have met so far.

By this weekend, his lead should become unassailable.

His position will become precarious only if the Umno divisions start to nominate other contenders, but that is unlikely.

Being the sole nominee for the Umno presidency also means an unimpeded ride to Malaysia's premiership, as convention ties the two together.

'The course is clear, and I don't think it's likely to change,” said an Umno division chief from Johor, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

But public perception can be very different from Umno's as it is less tied to a sense of loyalty or dependent on patronage. And yesterday's verdict is fresh ammunition. Nevertheless, its impact may not last long without any evidence of wrongdoing.

Over the months, the opposition's attacks on Najib have all petered out quickly as rhetoric can only go so far.

The case is, however, not over yet. On Nov 10, the two policemen charged will take the witness stand, and their testimony will be closely watched.

Much hinges on what they are going to say about Razak's instructions to them.

Suave and polished, Razak, 48, was one of Malaysia's best-known political analysts, not at least because of his close connection to Najib.

In 2002, it surfaced that Razak had won a RM540 million contract to provide services in relation to Malaysia's purchase of two French submarines. Najib was then the Defence Minister.

Razak's links to Najib quickly dragged the Deputy PM into the scandal.

During the court proceedings, a witness, Burmaa Oyunchimeg, said she had seen a photograph of her cousin Altantuya with Razak and Najib. This alleged photo, however, has yet to surface.

But the drama kept unfolding, feeding gossip despite the fact that little evidence of wrongdoing has ever come to light.

Public perception is hard to tame, and yesterday's case could open a new chapter in these turbulent times in Malaysian politics. — TMI