Altantuya Case: Court of Appeal to Rule on Family’s RM5M Claim

Altantuya Murder Case Nears Final Verdict After 19 Years of Legal Battles

The Court of Appeal will deliver its decision on January 20, 2026, regarding the government and Abdul Razak Baginda's appeals against the High Court ruling in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case. The case has seen numerous twists and turns since Altantuya's family filed a RM100 million lawsuit in 2007.

The Shah Alam High Court ordered former police officers Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, Abdul Razak, and the government to jointly pay RM5 million in damages on December 16, 2022. This came after Altantuya's family sued for mental shock and psychological trauma following her death.

The Federal Court initially upheld Azilah and Sirul's convictions and death sentences in 2015. However, in October 2023, the Federal Court commuted Azilah's death sentence to 40 years' imprisonment. This followed a request for pardon from Malaysia's former King, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, in the same month.

Azilah and Sirul were convicted in 2009 for murdering Altantuya between October 19 and 20, 2006. The upcoming Court of Appeal decision, to be delivered by Justices Datuk Hashim Hamzah, Datuk Azman Abdullah, and K Muniandy, is eagerly awaited by all parties involved.

The Court of Appeal's decision on January 20, 2026, will bring closure to a chapter in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case that has spanned nearly two decades. The decision will have significant implications for the parties involved and may provide some measure of justice for Altantuya's family.