The Federal Court will hear the Altantuya family’s bid to appeal a reduced damages award in their long-running civil suit over her 2006 murder
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has fixed July 15 to hear an application by the family of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaaribuu for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision in their civil suit over her death in 2006.
The hearing date was set following a case management before Federal Court deputy registrar Wan Norazimin Kassim today.
Lawyer Abraham Au, who represents political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, confirmed the date when contacted by Bernama.
Altantuya’s family filed the leave application on Feb 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 in their suit against Abdul Razak, two former police officers and the government.
On Jan 20, the Court of Appeal allowed the government’s appeal and ruled that it was not vicariously liable for the actions of former police officers Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri.
Altantuya’s family filed a RM100 million civil suit in 2007, claiming that her death caused them severe mental shock and psychological trauma.
In 2022, the Shah Alam High Court allowed the claim and ordered Azilah Hadri, Sirul Azhar Umar, Abdul Razak Baginda and the government to jointly pay RM5 million in damages.
Azilah and Sirul Azhar were convicted in 2009 of murdering Altantuya in Shah Alam between Oct 19 and 20, 2006.
In 2015, the Federal Court upheld their convictions and death sentences, overturning an earlier acquittal by the Court of Appeal.
In October 2023, the Federal Court allowed Azilah’s application for review and commuted his death sentence to 40 years’ imprisonment.
In a statement issued on Feb 24, the family’s lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, said they are seeking leave from the Federal Court to raise several questions of law arising from the civil proceedings, including the scope of the government’s vicarious liability.
