ANN/THE STAR – The family of deceased Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu is appealing for higher compensation than the MYR5 million awarded to them by the Shah Alam High Court in a suit they filed over her death in 2006.
In a notice of appeal filed on January 16 this year, Altantuya’s family is cross-appealing against part of the High Court’s decision on the quantum of damages.
On December 16 last year, High Court Judge Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera (now Court of Appeal judge) allowed the suit by Altantuya’s family and ordered former policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, and the Malaysian Government to jointly pay MYR5 million in general, aggravated and exemplary damages to the family.
The judge also awarded interest at five per cent per annum of the sum of judgement from the date of the filing of the lawsuit until the full settlement of the amount and legal costs of MYR25,000.
A case management for the Altantuya family’s appeal was held before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Nadia Mohd Kamal yesterday who then fixed another case management date on June 13. On June 4, 2007, Altantuya’s parents Dr Shaariibuu and Altantsetseg Sanjaa, as well as their grandson Mungunshagai Bayarjargal, filed a MYR100 million suit against Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar, Abdul Razak and the Malaysian government.
In their statement of claim, Altantuya’s family said the model’s death resulted in them suffering mental shock and psychological trauma and sought compensation as well as exemplary and aggravated damages.
Sirul Azhar is currently being held at an Australian immigration detention centre, and Azilah is on death row at Kajang prison.
