Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib has again denied any involvement in the 2006 murder of the Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu in a pre-reorded interview with TV3 yesterday.

This follows former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad joining the increasing chorus asking who have given the two former police commandos, Azila Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar the order to kill Altantuya.

On the murder of the Mongolian, Najib said he had sworn three times, including in a mosque in Permatang Pauh in 2008 that he did not know Altantuya and that he was not involved whether directly or indirectly.

Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah has also surfaced to Najib’s defence, stressing that police has cleared Najib of any involvement in Altantuya’s murder.

Abdullah said he was briefed about the case during his tenure and appeared convinced about the investigation’s outcome.

As Najib has reiterated that he did not know Altantuya and was not involved directly or indirectly in the Mongolian’s murder, why is Najib so resistant to the proposal for full inquiry as to the motive of Altantuya’s murder, and in particular, who had given the orders to the two ex-police commandos to kill the Mongolian and blow up her body with military explosives?

Najib should not tarry any further but take the decisive step to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Altantuya’s murder to establish the motives of the murder, who had ordered the two former police commandos to murder the Mongolian and blow up her body with military explosives, as well as the conduct of the various authorities, such as the police, the Attorney-General’s chambers and the judiciary, in failing to be fully diligent to get to the bottom of the Mongolian’s murder, particularly the motives for her murder.

Such a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Altantuya’s murder will be a great healing process for Malaysia, not only to restore national confidence in the integrity and professionalism of national institutions, but also the international credibility and reputation of the Prime Minister and the rule of law in the country.

The issues that RCI should find answers include:

• Who ordered Altantuya to be killed?

• Who issued the military C4 explosive?

• Who erased the immigration record of Altantuya’s entry into this country.

• Why did the Police, the Attorney-General and the judiciary ignore the “elephant in the room” in the Altantuya murder case as it should be obvious that both Azilah and Sirul would not have killed the Mongolian whom they did not know without a mastermind who had the motive to direct them to do so.

The RCI could also get great assistance from senior lawyer Americk Sidhu, the counsel for the late private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his widow, A. Santamil Selvi, who recently listed out the ‘persons of interest’ whose answers to the questions posed about Altantuya’s murder may possibly throw light not only on the motives but the person or persons responsible for the Altantuya’s murder, viz:

“Azilah – Why did you and Sirul kill someone you didn’t even know?

DSP Musa Safri (then aide de camp DPM Najib Razak) – What exactly did you tell Sirul and Azilah to do to that poor Mongolian lady and who exactly asked you to engage their services?

Nasir Safar (Najib’s special officer) – What were you doing driving around in front of Abdul Razak Baginda’s house on the evening of Oct 19, 2006, watching Azilah and Sirul abduct Altantuya?

PM Najib – Did you know that four of your staff were involved in this? If so, then why were they?

Deepak Jaikishan (businessman with close ties to Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor – Who asked you to shut private eye P Balasubramaniam up and get him and his family out of Malaysia immediately after he released SD1 (first statutory declaration)? (This should be easy as Deepak has already confessed to all of this).

Rosmah – Was it you? If not, then who?

Johari Razak (Najib’s younger brother) – Did you telephone senior lawyer Cecil Abraham on the evening of July 3, 2008 and ask him to prepare SD2 for Balasubramaniam to sign? If so why, and on whose behalf?

Cecil – Did you receive a telephone call from Johari Razak on July 3, 2008 to prepare SD2? If so, did you?

Sunil Abraham (Cecil’s son, who is also a lawyer) – Did you or did you not, assist your father in preparing SD2 and did you then personally deliver it to the Hilton Hotel, KL Sentral on the morning of July 4, 2008?

Zainal Abidin Muhayat – Were you a commissioner for oaths in 2008 and did you have your office at Zul Rafique and Partners, Lorong P Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur? If so, who sent you to the Hilton Hotel, KL Sentral on July 4, 2008 to attest the signature of one Balasubramaniam on SD2?

Nazim Razak (another brother of Najib) – Were you and your wife at the Curve, Mutiara Damansara late in the night of July 3, 2008? If so did you meet one Balasubramaniam next to the VW showroom?

And if so, did you or did you not, threaten Balasubramaniam to follow the instructions of one Deepak Jaikishan and leave the country with his family immediately, otherwise his family’s safety could not be guaranteed?

Najib – Did you instruct Johari and Nazim to arrange, respectively, for SD2 to be prepared and Balasubramaniam’s subsequent departure from Malaysia? If so, why was that necessary?

Hamzah Zainuddin (Umno MP for Larut) – Did you, in 2011, offer Balasubramaniam safe passage back to this country and a cash inducement if he pleaded guilty to affirming a false statutory declaration (SD1). If so, why and on behalf of whom?”

Najib must be pro-active and cannot continue to rely on his denial and his oaths if he is to convince the public and the world that he has absolutely nothing to do with Altantuya’s gruesome murder.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry into Altantuya’s murder and the conduct of various authorities in the case is the only way to salvage the credibility and repute of Najib and his premiership from the Mongolian albatross.

Will Najib dare to set up such a Royal Commission of Inquiry?