KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 2): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must clear the air and compel the police to conduct full and open investigations into the motive behind the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu, as the case is one of public and international importance, the DAP said today.

This, according to the party's national legal bureau secretary Gobind Singh Deo, is because the Federal Court, in its judgement, has not answered the question.

"I hold the view that the PM must now act to clear the air. Any rational PM cannot hold his head high in circumstances like these," he said.

Gobind said Najib should demand answers and is duty bound to direct a full and open probe to find out who could have directed the killing of Altantuya and why.

The Puchong MP said since the court has not yet answered these pertinent questions, the 'puzzle' remains wide open and, if not fully resolved, will lead to Malaysia becoming the subject of ridicule in the international arena.

"And Malaysians will always remain sceptical over the manner in which the case was dealt with," he said.

He said Najib should also respond to Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang's suggestion to set up a bipartisan parliamentary committee to inquire into the case, thus reflecting transparency on the part of the Malaysian government over the matter.

On Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar's remark that the question of motive was the judiciary's decision and not the police, Gobind said it was misplaced and pathetic.

"It is the duty of the police to secure the evidence and then, through the public prosecutor, place it before a court.

"There must first be evidence. It is only then that a court can decide," he said.

Gobind said the IGP must come clean on these matters and find out whether any separate investigation was done into the motive of the case and brought forward to the Public Prosecutor.

"The world, just like us here in Malaysia, also wants to know why Altantuya was killed. Why would two policemen, who did not know her at all, want to kill her?," he said.

Gobind's statement today came following Lim's remark yesterday that although the courts did not establish a motive for Altantuya's murder, Khalid had a duty to find out why two former elite policemen had killed her.

He said Khalid should launch a thorough inquiry to ascertain why Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and former Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri murdered Altantuya in 2006.

But Khalid, in a reply to Malaysiakini, had said that Lim was barking up the wrong tree, saying that the question why the motive was not established in court was for the judiciary to answer, not the police.

Azilah is on death row while Sirul has fled to Australia. Malaysian authorities have applied to have him extradited.