The four Mongolian witnesses in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial are receiving a daily allowance in addition to having their expenses fully covered for their stay in Malaysia.

Honorary Consul of Mongolia, Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi, when contacted today, confirmed that their expenses are being paid by the Malaysian police force.

Altantuya's father Dr Shaariibuu Setev, her two cousins and a friend are to appear as witnesses at the trial, which was scheduled to have opened yesterday at the Shah Alam High Court.

However, a two-week postponement was allowed up to June 18 to enable a new prosecution team to study the documents.

Abdul Rahman said all four witnesses receive a daily allowance of RM100 each, while their hotel room costs about RM200 per person per night.

"They collect the money from the police every day. As for transport, the police have provided a car for them to use. The police take them wherever they want to go," he said.

However, he also said the figures were not exact and directed further queries to DSP Gan Teck Guan at the Kuala Lumpur Contingent headquarters. He could not be contacted for clarification.

Syed Abdul Rahman could not provide a figure on the air fare, which has also been placed on the police tab.

However, he said the witnesses flew business class. They flew on Mongolian Airlines from Ulaanbaatar with a transit stop in Seoul, where they boarded a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight for Kuala Lumpur.

When contacted for information on the return fare over a two-week period, a MAS ticketing officer said rates differ according to time of booking and airlines used.

She said the lowest price on an economy class MAS flight from Kuala Lumpur via Beijing to Mongolia is about RM5,000. The business-class fare with a transit stop in Seoul is RM14,700 including airport tax.

'Lives on hold'

Syed Abdul Rahman said Altantuya's cousins, Burmaa Oyunchimeg and Gal Orchir Uuriintuya, and friend Namiraa Garelmaa want to return home.

They have been sponsored for eight days initially but the duration is set to be extended in light of the postponement of the trial.

He said the arrangement is to send them back the moment the lawyers are done with their testimony.

"All of them want to go back. Burmaa studies in Hong Kong and Namiraa lives very far away from Ulaanbaatar. They have placed their lives on hold for this," Syed Abdul Rahman said.

"It is also impossible to get them in Mongolia if they go back now. It was difficult for us to even trace them at first, but they are willing to stay at this moment."

Shaariibuu (photo) was initially sponsored for a month but this has been extended to the end of the trial, he said.

Also in the Mongolian entourage are a lawyer and translator from the Justice Ministry, identified as Bayar.

"Bayar is sponsored by the government of Mongolia and his allowance as an interpreter during the trial is paid by the Shah Alam High Court," he added.

Altantuya, 28, is believed to have been shot dead and her body blown up using explosives last October.

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 31, are charged with the murder. Political analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, is charged with abetment.

The new prosecution team lead by Tun Majid Tun Hamzah initially asked for a one-month postponement on grounds that his team needed time to study more than 100 investigation papers.

Lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya's family, had countered that the expenses of the "three Mongolian witnesses and two interpreters" are being paid with taxpayers' money.

The family has filed a RM100 million suit against the Malaysian government and the three accused for trauma resulting from the murder.