The issue of slain Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu continues to haunt Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, even in China.
The premier, who is on an official trip to the republic, was posed with questions concerning the opposition's attempt to link him to the gruesome murder.
However, Najib merely laughed off the matter, saying: "I had nothing to do with it."
"There's no evidence," he told the Associated Press in Beijing.
"They've not offered any evidence at all ... I have sworn in the name of God, of Allah, that I had nothing to do with her and I can't go beyond that," he said.
The prime minister added what he described as a 'tongue in cheek comment', saying the fact that Altantuya was staying at "a two-star run down hotel" at the time of her death was further indication that he had not been involved with her.
"If she was my girlfriend, she will be totally insulted if I put her (there)," he said with a laugh.
High-profile case
Since the case came to light three years ago, Najib has been desperately trying to distance himself from the matter.
However, the opposition nevers fail to raise the spectre of Altantuya especially during election campaigns.
Even his mentor and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that Najib has to clear his name in the court of public perception.
The 28-year-old Mongolian translator was having an affair with Najib's close aide Abdul Razak Baginda.
On Oct 19, 2006, she was shot and her remains blown up with explosives.
Abdul Razak, who acknowledged the affair, was initially charged with abetting the murder while two policemen from the elite Special Operations Force, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, were charged with her murder.
Abdul Razak was acquitted last October but the two policemen were sentenced to death in April.
The high-profile trial however never established a motive.
Malaysiakini
05/06/09
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