“I have to discuss this with my colleagues first. We have ample time,” he told FMT in a text message.

The government, political analyst Razak Baginda, and former policemen Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri have a month to file the notice of appeal.

On Friday, Justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera ruled that Altantuya’s family had successfully proved their claim on a balance of probabilities against the four defendants.

He said the Malaysian government, as the fourth defendant, was vicariously liable for the unlawful actions of Sirul and Azilah – the first and second defendants – which were carried out in their capacity as police officers.

In his judgment, Vazeer said Sirul and Azilah “deliberately shot” and “strapped explosives” onto Altantuya, and should be held accountable for their actions.

He said Razak was the link between the two former policemen and Altantuya but took the position that he had no case to answer in the action.

Altantuya’s father, Shaariibuu Setev, his wife, Altantsetseg Sanjaa, and Altantuya’s son, Mungunshagai filed a RM100 million suit in 2007 and claimed that there was a conspiracy surrounding her murder.

Altantuya, a model, was shot in the head in 2006 in a forest in Puncak Alam near Shah Alam. Her body was later blown up with C4 explosives.

Azilah and Sirul were found guilty and sentenced to death for her murder.

Razak, a former aide to then deputy prime minister Najib Razak, was charged with abetting the duo, but was acquitted without his defence being called.

Sirul, who is being held at an Australian immigration detention centre, and Azilah, who is on death row at Kajang prison, did not challenge the family’s suit.