The Altantuya murder trial started today after High Court judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin dismissed two applications by lawyer Karpal Singh in the morning.

In the first application, Karpal, who is holding a watching brief for the family of Mongolian murder victim Altantuya Shaariibuu and the Mongolian government, had applied for the judge to be disqualified from hearing the matter.

His main reason for the application was that the judge was related by marriage to a defence counsel.

Karpal argued the judge should withdraw "to make sure the judicial process of this case is not in any way tarnished."

The judge dismissed the application but pledged to "uphold the constitution" while presiding over the case.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah also objected the grounds raised by Karpal as being too remote.

In the second application, Karpal had sought the court's permission to allow him to cross-examine witnesses.

The lawyer wanted the right to question witnesses, make submission and follow through all ancillary proceedings during the course of the trial. He said he must be allowed to engage other counsels and cross-examine the witnesses.

In rejecting this application, Mohd Zaki said Karpal could ask his questions through the deputy public prosecutor. Other defence counsel too objected this application.

Death penalty

After the applications were dismissed, the court broke for a thirty-minute recess, following which the charges were read to the three accused persons.

Tun Majid also read out his opening statement which included charges. The court room was packed with 30 reporters and 60 members of the public.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting the murder of his former Mongolian lover, Altantuya, 28, in a slaying that stunned Malaysia.

She was killed last October and her body blown up in a jungle clearing in Shah Alam district, southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

Abdul Razak has vehemently denied any involvement in the case.

Two police officers, Azilah Hadri, 30, and Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, are charged with the murder itself. They are members of a special unit that guards the country's top leaders, including the prime minister and his deputy.

All three accused face the death penalty if convicted.

New prosecuting team

The trial was to begin on June 4 but moments after court opened the lead prosecutor, Tun Majid ( photo ), asked for a delay. He said he had only been assigned to the case the day before.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail later said he ordered the change to ensure the right to a fair trial was upheld after the man previously in charge of prosecuting the case was seen playing badminton with the trial judge.

Last Friday a coalition of 22 civil groups demanded no further postponements and called for a fair and independent trial.

The opposition DAP said there were suspicions the attorney-general's ethical concerns were "inspired not by concerns of appearance for justice but motivated by political considerations."

But Tun Majid said there was "nothing of that sort" as he arrived for the trial on Monday. After two weeks of preparation, he said he was ready.

Abdul Gani told AFP today there would be no further delays on the prosecution side, and he dismissed as speculation suggestions of political meddling.

"All this speculation is bad," he said. "Listen to the trial. Everything will be disclosed."

In high spirits

Abdul Razak heads the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, a think tank, and was introduced to Altantuya in Hong Kong at the end of 2004, he said in an affidavit and statements to police.

He arrived at court encircled by about six plainclothes police officers and another 20 uniformed police shielding him from a crowd of news photographers.

Abdul Razak's wife, Mazlinda Makhzan, was overheard saying he was in high spirits.

She and other relatives wore white T-shirts which, on the front, proclaimed their relationship to him, and on the back read, "And proud of it."

"I pray to Allah for right to be done. I don't want justice. I want right to be done," she said just before the trial began.

Altantuya was a trained teacher and a translator who spoke English, Russian and Chinese, her father has said. He was also in the packed courtroom today.

Abdul Razak's wife also tried to shake hands with Altantuya's father Dr Sharibu Setev but he declined.

The couple conducted a jet-setting romance before her death.

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