Dr Shaariibuu Setev is in Kuala Lumpur awaiting the start of the country's most anticipated murder trial.

The father of murdered Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu arrived yesterday evening from Ulan Bator at 6 pm yesterday. He will be a witness at the trial which begins Monday at the Shah Alam High Court.

He is accompanied by three nieces, Burmaa, Almiraa and Gal Ochir, according to a report by Bernama.

On hand to greet them was the Honorary Consul of Mongolia in Malaysia, Syed Abdul Rahman Al Habshi.

Shaariibuu is the director of the National University of Mongolia's Information and Educational Centre.

Painful journey

"He told me that this trip to Kuala Lumpur reminded him of the painful journey he made last November, to identify his daughter's remains, following her murder," Syed Abdul Rahman was quoted as saying.

Last November, Shaariibuu, along with two other relatives attended a memorial ceremony at the Puncak Alam, Shah Alam. A Buddhist priest lit incense and placed white rice and milk at the place where her shattered remains were found.

Fragments of bones which were later verified as Altantuya's, were found in a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, in early November last year.

Altantuya's gruesome murder received wide coverage here and in Mongolia, following speculation that apart from being shot, explosives were also used to blow up her body to pieces.

Shaariibuu has been subpoenaed for the 26-day trial at the Shah Alam High Court, beginning June 4. More than 20 witness are expected to take the stand.

Shaariibuu is expected to sue the Malaysian government and three people accused in the case, including a well-connected political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, following the trial.

'Your security men killed her'

In early May, Shaariibuu had also hit out at Malayisan Deputy Premier Najib Tun Razak for abstaining all responsibilities of the murder. Baginda is a close associate of Najib.

"I take note that Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied...that he was in any manner related to my murdered daughter Altantuya," Shariibuu said in a statement.

"But I would like to remind dear Mr Najib and also the Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the crime was committed by your security officers," he said.

On Oct 6, last year, Altantuya arrived in Malaysia with a cousin, reportedly to search for a Malaysian man who had befriended her in Mongolia.

When she went missing 13 days later, the cousin lodged a police report and sought help from the Mongolian Embassy in Bangkok.

Two policemen from the federal police Special Action Force, Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, have been charged with her murder.

Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, has been charged with abetment to the murder.