“Altantuya sacrificed herself for the sake of others”

Exclusive: translations inside

The only stories we hear about Altantuya Shariibuu were the ones told by the police, by Abdul Razak Baginda in his affidavit, and by the local newspapers.

The only pictures we have seen about the young mother of two, were the passport photos in the local newspapers, always depicted alongside her alleged murderer, whenever her case had news value.

Curious about her, I traced her life back to the exotic land of Mongolia, where she hailed from, and tried to understand the woman behind all the sleazy, unsubstantiated stories. It was not an easy task.

I tried speaking to her father, Mr. Stev Shariibuu, personally, but he speaks very little English. He promised, through friends in Ulanbataar, that he would send some information about his daughter. After several weeks of waiting, her father, finally sent this video clip to me.

In his agony, and to preserve whatever memory he has of his beloved daughter, Shariibuu put together several pictures of Altantuya, followed by a brief narration about her life. There is also a short video clip about her sick, young boy – Atanshagai, 3 years old, whose DNA is being sought now, by experts who want to determine whose child he is.

I am sure it was not an easy job for him to do this.

I would like to request my dear readers to help ease the pain of the Shariibuu family by leaving some words of comfort in the comments section. These words will be compiled and sent to Altantuya’s family as a gesture of goodwill, from Malaysians, who feel their pain and emphatise with the Mongolians, who though so far away, now have a lasting bond with us, because of Altantuya.

We, too, have mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and girlfriends. And it is simply too heart-wrenching to have not only been shocked with news about her death, but to be left wondering if the late Altantuya will receive the justice she so rightly deserves.

In this 4.41 minute video, Mr. Shariibuu said in his own words:

“(Altantuya) is a nice and young Mongolian girl who got killed by cruel murderers, terminating her young life.

“She was born as a dear child to her moderate parents, and like other children, she grew up, by spending ordinary days, day after day.

“She grew up playing with her sister, who is so much like her, as birds of a feather.

“The picture of the girl sitting on the lap of her Russian teacher in the remote Chimkent city of the Soviet Union shows the beginning of her educational path.

“It was in the secondary school of Leningrad city that she began to get acquainted with the great history of humankind.

“By giving birth to her first child, she became a mother to experience happiness of motherhood, although her livelihood burden increased as well.

“Besides bringing up her son she strived to learn Russian, English and Chinese.

“Her master’s, bachelor’s degrees and diplomas in Chinese Language and many other certificates bear witness to her increasing knowledge, certify her good command of those languages.

“But life is full of surprises, and to overcome all possible difficulties in life, she often overloaded herself with work, trying to repay her parents goodness, to rear her children and educate her sister.

“She had a rare nature, she did not begrudge her friends and sacrificed herself for the sake of others.

“But her lifespan was limited, yet the success she achieved in this 20+ years of life, will make you think, that she lived her life, racing to be ahead of time.

“ Later, Altantuya gave birth to her second child, and put in enormous effort to bring him up as a healthy boy. This is a witness of what an extremely good mother and unique good-hearted girl she was.

“The Mongolian girl who departed from this life so sensationally, deeply distressed her parents, orphaned her dear children and reminded the world of the realities of modern life.

“She will be remembered by all honest people, and frankly she will serve God after her death”.

Background voice and produced by: Mr. Stev Shariibuu, Ulanbataar, January 2007.

Translation by Dashvadaa, from Mongolia.