The government has a duty to clear the country’s name and sue a news outlet for defamation if it thinks there is no truth in a documentary about the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
The former prime minister said Al-Jazeera is watched by millions of people and most will believe what they see.
“Merely saying that it is not true may convince some Malaysians but will not convince foreigners,” he said in a blog posting on Monday.
A report in Al Jazeera’s 101 East current affairs programme last Thursday alleged that Altantuya had ties with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and that the two men convicted of murdering her were linked to Najib.
“It is not pleasant to be told that the Prime Minister of Malaysia may be involved in a murder case. Najib and his Government have a duty to clear our name,” he said, adding that proof must be given that there was no cover up, no police involvement in the murder and that Razak Baginda was not guilty.
Mahathir added that both the judiciary and the AG’s Chambers must clear their names with regards to the acquittal of Razak Baginda.
The former prime minister said Al-Jazeera is watched by millions of people and most will believe what they see.
“Merely saying that it is not true may convince some Malaysians but will not convince foreigners,” he said in a blog posting on Monday.
A report in Al Jazeera’s 101 East current affairs programme last Thursday alleged that Altantuya had ties with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and that the two men convicted of murdering her were linked to Najib.
“It is not pleasant to be told that the Prime Minister of Malaysia may be involved in a murder case. Najib and his Government have a duty to clear our name,” he said, adding that proof must be given that there was no cover up, no police involvement in the murder and that Razak Baginda was not guilty.
Mahathir added that both the judiciary and the AG’s Chambers must clear their names with regards to the acquittal of Razak Baginda.
“Already Malaysians abroad are being asked what has happened to our country. This new episode is not going to improve the image of the country after the other scandals.“The Government must take this documentary film seriously and try to clear our name. Taking it off Al Jazeera in Malaysia would not change anything. The documentary has gone viral in Malaysia and is still shown throughout the world,” said Mahathir.
Meanwhile, former inspector-general of police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan has denied allegations, which resurfaced from an Al Jazeera documentary, that murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu was somehow linked to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Musa, who was IGP during the investigation into Altantuya's murder in 2006, said the allegations raised in the documentary aired last Thursday were fictitious and not based on actual facts.
"For your information, I am not siding with the Government or Opposition, or trying to protect anybody.
"I felt called upon to clarify certain details of the case, as they have been reported wrongly in the media from day one," the former top cop told a press conference..
Musa proceeded to rehash the details of the case, saying that the investigation was first opened after a missing persons report was lodged on Altantuya.
"We received a report that a Mongolian model had gone missing. My first thought was that it was a tourist, and it doesn't look good on Malaysia if a tourist goes missing."
Musa said the investigations revealed that two police officers were with Altantuya on the night she disappeared, referring to C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, who were later found guilty of murdering her.
He said the police also found that prior to her disappearance, Altantuya had lodged a police report claiming she had been harassed and blackmailed by "a male friend" for demanding money from him.
The police later suspected the involvement of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's aide Abdul Razak Baginda, and had sought permission from then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to bring him in for questioning.
"Pak Lah was out of the country at the time. When he returned, I told him who we suspected was involved and he said to refer the matter to Najib, as Abdul Razak was his advisor," he explained.
"Najib told me to do my job, and to make the arrest. From there, we discovered that the victim had been murdered and her body blown up," said Musa.
He said to date, there was no evidence linking Najib to the crime and urged the public not to speculate on the matter.
"If anyone has new evidence on the case or has information of someone else's involvement, then they should make a police report and it will be investigated accordingly. Don't just make up stories," he said, adding that the police would investigate fresh leads without hiding anything.
He claimed the Al-Jazeera documentary, which included re-enacted scenes of the Altantuya murder and investigation, were a ploy to ruin Najib's credibility.
"If there are is any new information, including the allegations raised by Al-Jazeera, then the case can be reopened. But make a police report first," he added.