Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam created shock waves yesterday when he made public his statutory declaration (SD) linking Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, with several astounding assertions about the relationship conveyed to him by both Altantuya and Abdul Razak Baginda.
Today, Balasubramaniam created a second round of shock waves when within 24 hours he retracted his statutory declaration with a second statutory declaration, claiming that he was forced to make his earlier declaration under duress.
The initial public reaction to Balasubramaniam’s second SD is one of shock and disgust, with some dismissing and condemning the episode as a “Plague on both houses”!
Serious-minded Malaysians however cannot have the luxury of ignoring the SD acrobatics of Balasubramaniam as at stake are very grave issues about the integrity of the system of justice and good governance, the reputation of powerful office-holders and ordinary people(both dead and living).
As the initial feelings of shock and disgust settle down, it emerges that Subramaniam has done the impossible – making more Malaysians believe in his first SD by his second SD of retraction.
When Subramaniam made his first SD yesterday linking the Deputy Prime Minister with Altantuya, Malaysians were divided between those who believed his SD and those who did not.
With his second SD of retraction, without explaining what was the “duress” which coerced him to make shocking disclosures linking Najib with Altantunya, Subramaniam has succeeded in making even those who had doubted his first SD to come around to believe it – while achieving very little effect in creating doubt among those who had believed his first SD.
Balasubramaniam’s lawyer for his first SD, Americk Singh Sidhu, told Malaysiakini that Balasubramaniam received a phone call from the police soon after his press conference yesterday to report to the Brickfields police station.
“I advised him that as a law-abiding citizen, he should go and see them. So I fetched him to the Brickfields police station at 4.45pm yesterday and I haven’t heard from him since,” he said stressing that he has failed to contact Balasubramaniam since this news broke out.
The Police owes to the Malaysian public a full explanation as to what transpired in the meeting between the police and Balasubramaniam at the Brickfields police station yesterday evening and after, resulting in his bizarre second SD.
The whole Balasubramaniam SD1 and SD2 episode does no credit not only to the private investigator but also to the system of justice and law and order in Malaysia and can only plunge national and international confidence in the integrity, credibility and legitimacy of the Abdullah administration to a new nadir.
#1 by budak on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:11 am
i think it’s good to hide his family in an embassy; he’ll tell the truth if his family members are safe and sound…
else we’ll never or ever hear a true story…
#2 by barble on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:23 am
i do agree fully with you rainbowseahorse.. and i am also proud to know that a lot of Malaysians nowadays, especially the younger generation fighting back for their freedom of speech and respect as a citizen and voter of this country.. we voters are the ones who suppose to be the controllers of this country not the people that we VOTED for controls us in what we can and cannot do within our rights… our police are a mockery, our judicial system is a mockery, our poiliticians are a mockery!!
[deleted]
speaking of asylum undergrad2, if you were Mr bala who has a wife, kids, mother, father, parents in-laws, and other close family members would you want to drop everything and just leave them to seek asylum in another country knowing you may never see your family again??? would you do so??? if you think you can’t then don’t even suggest he do it….
#3 by Neobanchuan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:27 am
Mr Bala has risked his life in making the first SD. An idiot will know his life will be threatened thereafter. What action has been taken to ensure his safety? There was none.
#4 by passerby on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:40 am
Personally, I think the SD 1 was exactly happened and transpired from the day when the 3 Mongolian women arrived up to that fateful night and that was what he gave to the police but was not recorded exactly in the statement which he signed before his release.
What Razak said about Najib during that night was probably blurted out without realizing just to show Bala that it was not all his fault, trying not down the whole incident. Bala gave the police exactly what Razak said hopefully to help him. This is quite normal just like any employee will do to help his boss to look good.
SD 2 is definitely made under duress since this was made after he was asked to report to the police station. ..
I am sure that they cannot make him to retract everything. That’s because some body got to be hang for the killing.
#5 by Godfather on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:42 am
The vast majority of people I talk to, inside and outside of Bolehland, believe that something was done by the Police to coerce Bala into making the retraction. This is another reason why we need the IPCMC – the PDRM has zero credibility and with no explanation as to how the C4 stockpile is managed, it lends credence to all sorts of conspiracy theories.
Bala was brave to make the first SD, and we can’t blame him for making the second SD after being left alone at Brickfields police station. There is just so much that one person can do to stay alive and to protect his cherished ones.
#6 by Godfather on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:46 am
It is a fact that by retracting the claims against Najis, it lends more credence to those claims. It is a shame that certain parties named in the first SD are not coming out to substantiate Bala’s original assertions. However, by going into hiding and not openly disputing Bala’s original claims, we can infer that those claims were indeed true.
#7 by bystander on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:46 am
If there is no truth in SD1, why is it necessary for najis and polis to threathen bala to retract ?
#8 by KennyGan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:49 am
To call Umno goons and goonettes to swear on the holy book is pointless. Their faith is weak, their only god is Money. If you want them to swear on the Quran, they will, in bad faith. Just ask the AP Queen. She did it, are you convinced she’s clean?
In any case, it doesn’t prove anything. The innocent has no fear of God, the guilty has no conscience.
#9 by pangwl88 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:49 am
BALA ….. where are you migrating????? Australia? Europe?
Another Made In Malaysia Millionaire………
#10 by passerby on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:51 am
Correction.
Should be…. trying to down play the whole incident.
#11 by KennyGan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:52 am
How to get evidence to back up Bala’s SD? How about engaging the services of P.I. Bala?
Seriously, the PM should come out with an assurance for Bala’s safety and urge Bala to come out and tell the truth. But you know our PM, he has no leadership at all, not even on a matter of national importance.
#12 by pangwl88 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:53 am
Witness Protection Act?
What is that?
We have it here meh?
Witness Protection Act in Malaysia is = C4 + remote forest…..
#13 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:54 am
It seems that Bala and family have disappeared form their home in the middle of the night apparently in fear of their lives. If I were him I’d file for asylum probably with the Indian government.
#14 by andy6000 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:55 am
Bala, you must tell the truth, since you are ‘hardcore’ prayer and you are vegetarian as well if i am not mistaken. Just prove us your kind and clean heart, i think that all your family member will support you to do that. It’s worth to do that.
#15 by pangwl88 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:00 pm
Raja Putra:
You are so out spoken to a point its not funny any more….
You want the TRUTH??? Engage Scotland Yard for a full scale investigation. Their tech is much more advance then ours.
(you know they actually have a HUGE computer somewhere, listening to ALL the conversation on the mobile phones, checking ALL the emails?)
No money to enage??? Post a request on your blog site, spread the request to the PEOPLE, then, you will have all the money you need.
#16 by baoqingtian on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:04 pm
Bala, go make your 3rd SD. But this time tell us who harassed you. This way you’ll be able to redeem yourself.
#17 by La Pax on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:15 pm
Some how I felt that everyone is believing that the 1st AD is true eventhough Mr. Bala retracted the 1st SD.
#18 by limkamput on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:17 pm
undergrad2 says: If I were him I’d file for asylum probably with the Indian government.
what else is new, always running and always trying to enjoy the best of both worlds. spineless hypocrite!
#19 by cheng on soo on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:23 pm
he should hv thought of all consequences before he made his first stat. declaration. If he is so concerned about the consequences, then should not hv made even the first SD
then, no need for him to make 2nd SD!
#20 by Neobanchuan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:23 pm
I think the Mongolian government must give pressures to the world to impose closed scrutiny on how the trial of Altantuya’s case is being held in Court and how investigation has been carried out. If Malaysia do not give its fair and transparent manner and unveil the truth to the world, when Najib becomes PM, the world will cast doubt on the credentials of Najib as a leader and Malaysia will lose all its credibilities as a democratic country and go back to communist time.
#21 by Neobanchuan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:27 pm
Cheng on soo, why are you so irritated about Bala’s retract of his first SD? He may not have understood what does “life-threatening” really means before he made the first SD. Isn’t it good as this showed people how dark and corrupted our gov is? Come on, any idiot will know he is under pressure to retract the first SD.
#22 by cheng on soo on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:35 pm
Am not irritated at all. just a small suggestion,
Those who understand,
Chinese proverb. “Here, do not have 300 teals of silver” !those who didnt, can ask those who did. perhaps had done what was intended after all.
#23 by citizenwatch on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 12:59 pm
(rainbowseahorse Says:
Yesterday at 16: 42.57
It does not matter whether we Malaysians believe Bala or not. The end result has been achieved, which is to neutralize his credibility as a witness.)
************************************
We should consider the intervening factor in Bala’s sudden turnaround which can be extenuating. If it is intimidation like threats to his life or family, it is only natural he acted as he did and this will help extenuate. But if he’s induced with fiduciary benefits, the full brunt of the law and the public’s wrath should be on him. Bala is still a credible witness, in fact a vital one.
Consider Krismuddin and an Oxford pseudo-intellectual philistine who admits in Parliament he’s a primate, when they jumped at Bala’s retraction as an opportunity to attack Anwar. They said that it’s Anwar’s gambit to tell lies about BN leaders. In their simplistic enthusiasm to attack Anwar, they never saw the extenuating circumstances and the validity of the retraction.
These allegations are part of the continuously improvised script these BN players are following, to go on cue. One by one ministers come out to discredit Anwar and indirectly lend credence to the sodomy charge. This is frightening as it looks like it is one big UMNO or BN grand design of a conspiracy, laying to rest that only a few individuals and some little Napoleans are involved.
But they keep on fumbling and stumbling in the conception and execution.
#24 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 1:06 pm
Don’t we think Razak’s wife should come forward and tell the truth, else her husband will be under death sentence soon. She must have known a lot about the Mongolian woman. Please don’t trust that it will be ok, and just stay cool.
#25 by KennyGan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 1:15 pm
Ahh… but they do not have the brains to orchestrate a believable conspiracy. Look at the DPM’s admission of meeting with Saiful at his residence and the weak explanation. Does anyone buy it?
#26 by pselvams on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 1:18 pm
After having gone thru all replies on this subject matter, I think Mr. Sidhu owes an explanation. Going out with an ASP friend for fishhead is far fetch. Anyone could tell the backlash and consequences of the SD1 and the security of Mr. Bala should have been top priority of all. They should have kept Mr.Bala in a secured place until all is sorted , however now the story is the other way around, can anyone tell where Mr. Bala is NOW. There are may unanswered questions in this drama and the lawyers hold the anwsers for now. We must look at this more objectively.
#27 by mingshing on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 1:41 pm
I am thinking about these conditions :
a.) Bala’s SD1 was like a live bait on Thursday for the big shark to hook it, then big shark got hooked and made counter attack in the evening.
b.) Bala’s SD2 was another live bait on Friday to hook some small sharks which are follow big shark.
can u all get what i mean? Fisherman asked.
#28 by bennylohstocks on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 1:59 pm
twisting and kepala pusing turning
C’MON LET’S DO THE TWIST..
#29 by Godfather on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 2:39 pm
In Mahathir’s blog, he wrote about Anwar’s “diabolical” plans without even acknowledging that the Police, ACA and Judiciary are totally beholden to the executive – simply due to Mahathir’s 22 years of corruption. A shameless old man asking for public understanding when the whole country knows what he did the most vile and diabolical things.
Previously I was of the opinion that we should just let the old man be alone to live out the rest of his days, but now I think we should parade him in a court of law to answer for his corruption.
#30 by milduser on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 2:45 pm
I am not at all surprised at what Bala did. It’s just natural for him to do what he does day in and day out without realising it, if u know what i mean …
#31 by hongsichuan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 3:06 pm
Whether SD1 is true or not, a fictional conversation (between A and B) leading to it may be something as below.
A: “Just sign it. Don’t worry. RP did it. Nothing happens to him. What’s the worry? It’ll make you an instant hero overnight.”
B: “But Dato, I’ve no royal blood in me. The big guys will be less hesistant to slam me.”
A: “You are just worrying unnecessary. Didn’t you the 20000 people crowd that turned up at my rally? A new government will be formed soon and I will be the number 1 in charge. The current IGP will be removed… No need to worry too much. Just sign it.”
B: “What if the new government is formed two months’ time? It can on 16 September, right? Meantime, my family and I will be kaput. I don’t mean any disrespect, Dato. But after all, only last week, you were on the run yourself with your life threatened, how can you guarantee mine will not be in danger?”
A: “You worry too much. See nothing happens to me? I can get one of my many people I know at the many of the embassies here to issue you and your family an invitation to stay there until the new government is formed or until we receive assurances from the authority that you and family will be safe when you come out. Don’t worry. Trust me, just sign it.”
B: “Okay-lah. Let’s do it.”
#32 by digard on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 3:49 pm
Neobanchuan,
Cheng on soo, why are you so irritated about Bala’s retract of his first SD? He may not have understood what does “life-threatening” really means before he made the first SD.
He was police officer and PI. Maybe he didn’t think that he could be dropped at Brickfield Police the same day.
hongsichuan,
except it didn’t happen like this. Read the papers! B was exactly not dropped in front of an embassy, but in front of a police station. This rules out your whole story.
#33 by bennylohstocks on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 4:35 pm
where is he?
UNDER D(U)RESS
#34 by hongsichuan on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 4:35 pm
“except it didn’t happen like this. Read the papers! B was exactly not dropped in front of an embassy, but in front of a police station. This rules out your whole story.”
Of course, there was no embassy for Mr Bala to go to! What can I say to someone who completely missed the drift of what I was trying to say?
#35 by kingkenny on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 6:03 pm
Dear YB Kit,
as complicated as it may seem, I hope Pakatan Rakyat will do the right thing and protect this p.i. Bala as a social responsibility to the rakyat! And since Malaysia judiciary can be trusted and is considered a wiser counsel even by bloggers from new york, please do all you can according to the book and protect him physically and emotionally.
1.Don’t let the police beat him up.
2.Don’t let people threaten his life.
3.And protect his personal properties and belongings.
As you see, i referred to PR and not DAP alone, I think if PKR, DAP, PAS are serious about governing and forming a government, then let the Rakyat see some affirmative “actions”.
If Deputi Botak gets away “unharmed” in this saga after making all those bullsh!t statements in the press, I sincerely advice all righteous Malaysian to just give up and surrender laa, save energy and leave it until JUDGMENT DAY COMES…that day we will have the chance to “chat” with Deputi Botak “face to face”, all together at once. :)
#36 by citizenwatch on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 7:26 pm
MALAYSIA TODAY
To get access to Malaysia Today:
http://202.73.10.175
#37 by Ah Deng on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 7:52 pm
Malaysia Today has been blocked Today as his editor is under investigation, what an Act of Najisssssssssss!!! There is no freedom at all even on internet news for PKR, where is the justice?? Uncle Lim, please do something about it, there is no point we write so many comments here and talk2 onli……
#38 by BJK6775 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 8:33 pm
Penyiasat Dedah Seks Najib-Altantuya Hilang! Atau Disembunyikan?
Sabtu, 5 Julai 2008 • Kategori: Berita Semasa, Berita Utama, Nasional
Penyiasat persendirian yang mendedahkan seks Timbalan Perdana Menteri Najib dan Altantuya Shariibuu telah hilang dan tidak ditemui selepas mendedahkan Perakuan Sumpah kepada media 3 Julai lalu.
Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal dilaporkan hilang oleh anak saudaranya Kumaresan a/l Ramakrisnan di Balai Polis Brickfields pada jam 5 petang tadi. Turut hilang adalah isteri dan empat orang anaknya masing-masing berumur 2 tahun, 5 tahun, 9 tahun dan 11 tahun.
Kumaresan ditemani oleh peguam N Surendran, Ketua Penerangan KeADILan Tian Chua, Ahli Majlis Tertinggi KeADILan S Manickavasagam, dan penyelaras Hindraf S Jeyathas. Menurut Kumaresan, beliau bimbang kerana kehilangan seperti ini tidak berlaku sebelum ini kerana Balasubramaniam amat rapat dengan dirinya.
Balasubramaniam adalah saksi penting kepada pertalian Najib dan Altantuya. Perakuan Sumpah beliau mendedahkan Najib telah mengenali Altantuya bahkan pernah menyetubuhi wanita Mongolia itu. Menurut Balasubramaniam, Altantuya sedia diliwat oleh Timbalan Presiden Umno itu.
Altantuya diculik oleh dua orang pengiring Najib, Azilah Hadri dan Sirul Azhar, sebelum kepalanya ditembak dan mayatnya diletupkan pada 19 Oktober 2006.
Balasubramaniam keesokan harinya menarik balik perakuan sumpah itu tanpa pengetahuan peguamnya. Perakuan hubungan seks itu ditarik balik. Balasubramaniam hilang tidak lama kemudian.
#39 by justice fighter on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 8:49 pm
Dear Bala and family have gone missing….detained???
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85640
#40 by 9to5 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 9:31 pm
***citizenwatch Says:
MALAYSIA TODAY
To get access to Malaysia Today:
http://202.73.10.175***
Cannot access Malaysia Today on above IP address. Any suggestions?
#41 by barble on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 10:11 pm
what is going on?? it is getting from bad to worse now that even the online news is blocked by the government…we can’t protest our freedom of speech on the streets soon we can’t protest our dissatisfaction online blogging.. then what next?? we are not allowed to speak to anyone??
Malaysia is becoming a damn communist country!! there is no democracy in Bolihland.. then no need for us to celebrate Merdeka starting from this year… because there is no point, we are being dictated in what we can and cannot do.. is that what Merdeka is all about??
#42 by 9to5 on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 10:13 pm
Which SD is the truth? Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary…
Who is in a position to apply duress – Anwar and his merry PKR gang who don’t even have the power hold rally or provide free water to Selangor residents or the DPM who has the whole might of military, PDRM, AG, Ex-PM and the judiciary behind him? Answer – you know who.
Who has the most to lose – Anwar with the PM still in a distance or the DPM who already has the PM post in hand and his cahoots, the IGP and AG retaining their jobs? Answer – you know who and and his cahoots.
Who has the most monetary resources to pay for inducements? you figure out yourself.
When did Bala has the most confidence – At the PKR press conference where he was jovially and freely answering questions or at the hastily organised press conference where only Bernama attended, Bala didn’t take any questions and since then he had been missing with his whole family? Which time Bala’s face didn’t look as if he had seen a ghost? Answer – First SD.
The person most people ignored and overlooked is ASP Tonny Longan. Americk Singh Sidhu said that Balasubramaniam had been speaking to Tonny over the telephone. Tonny is the common link in the disappearance of Bala as well as involved in the Altantuya court case as prosecution witness where both times were seen protecting the powers to be. Interview Tonny and the truth will surface.
#43 by mendela on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 10:53 pm
Comparing the pictures taken during SD1 and SD2 press conference, it is easy to tell Bala did go through hell the night before he presented his SD2!
His eyes and face were blacken. There are scars on his hand. He was wearing a cap at SD2, I suspect there are bruises on his head too. Wearing a cap probably is to cover up his head bruises!
Looking at Bala’s face, even a 7-year kid can tell when he was under duress!
#44 by mendela on Saturday, 5 July 2008 - 11:48 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzmZEtqUVXs
#45 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:16 am
madmix Says:
Yesterday at 13: 49.11
Raja Petra,s blog now blocked.”
Yep. But a nincompoop that we know is unhappy that his blog has not been blocked because, he thought how could they miss him? After some three decades of loyal service to the BN government, and a ‘distinguished’ PPN title to his name, he turned traitor to his own people!
#46 by izrafeil on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:25 am
try looking at the past security camera at the Lion City Diamond Exhibition…. sometimes back… u will find something interesting
#47 by undergrad2 on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:34 am
“A military General has come out to ” rebuke ” the claim of military reports of both DTK Anwar and RPK either to squash the so called ” rumuors ” or under directive from some higher authority” kenyalan08
Only a self-confessed nincompoop would deny the possibility of a role for the military in times of public unrest.
#48 by Captain on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:36 am
1.Bala retracted the SD immediately after he went to Police.
2.He was missing.
3.His family is missing.
4.Bala retracted exactly and precisely those parts that implicated Najib.
5.Bala is still missing.
6.He was smiling & happy during SD1 press conference.
7.He is tensed and wearing a cap during SD2.
8. najib is Deputy PM and Defence Minister. Convenient control over Police and Military intelligence.
Doesn’t it seem so convenient? Too many coincidence.
If the police forced Bala to retract SD1 anf the family is missing…. looks like another altantnya kes in the making. If it turns out true, the police must have got the ideas from Hindi/Tamil movies… called ‘gundaraj’ … using the law of the jungle. you want to see your family alive? The police should not forget soon they will be having new masters .. Pakatan. They will have to ‘pay’ for it.
The police must be investigated. where they get orders from when the chief and several seniors are also implicated?
#49 by I Malaysian on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:43 am
I became very angry at Bala’s sudden U-turn. That was until I saw his pictures at second press conference. Any ordinary person who has the average level sense would understand this man was under tremendous pressure. In fact I believe his emotion was so high that he could be crying any moment.
It is obvious there was some kind of intimidation and that notion was confirmed when one of his nephew made a police report earlier today. My question is how we Malaysians are going to defeat this tyrannous government which is supported by thugs in the name of polis and legal officers?
#50 by kanthanboy on Sunday, 6 July 2008 - 12:55 am
Where is Balasubramaniam and his family?
The best scenario: He received the reward as promised in making the SD2 and they are enjoying life in a new country.
The worst scenario: They have been C4.
Mission accomplished: The police can now NFA SD1 and SD2 because Bala can not be found to assist in their investigation,