KUALA LUMPUR - A MALAYSIAN court will decide on Friday whether three men should face trial for involvement in the high-profile murder of a Mongolian woman, in a long-running case that has gripped the nation.

Two members of a police unit that guards Malaysia's top leaders are accused of killing Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was the lover of a well-connected political analyst.

The analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, is charged with abetting the murder.

Judge Mohamad Zaki Mohamad Yasin will decide on Friday if government lawyers have a case against the three, who would face death by hanging if found guilty.

'It has dragged on long enough and tomorrow (Friday) we will know how this is going to turn out,' lawyer Karpal Singh, who is representing the family of the slain 28-year-old Altantuya, said.

'It could be one of two outcomes - they could all be acquitted or made to face trial if the judge decides there is a prima facie case,' he said.

Altantuya was killed in October 2006 and her body blown up in a jungle clearing in Shah Alam district, southwest of Kuala Lumpur.

The hearing has seen a series of dramatic twists since it began in June last year and has already taken up 151 days of court time.

Mr Najib, who is expected to take as prime minister next March, has vehemently denied any involvement. -- AFP