Sirul: I did as told, and this is what I get in return...

Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar is a vexed man. In carrying out the 'hit' on Altantuya Shaariibuu, he is adamant that he was following orders meant to safeguard the interest of the nation. For that, he now faces the death sentence.

"If I die today, I would not find peace as I did what I was told and this is what I get in return," he told Malaysiakini in a recent telephone conversation from Australia.

Sirul, who was convicted together with another former police commando Azilah Hadri for the murder of Altantuya, is also dissatisfied with the country's legal system.
                                                                                           
He felt that deputy superintendent Musa Safri, who was his superior and former aide de camp of Najib Abdul Razak, who was then deputy prime minister, should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution.

The Court of Appeal had in 2013 acquitted Azilah and Sirul as a result of a serious misdirection by the Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Zaki Yasin, who was the trial judge, and this included the non-calling of Musa.

However, Sirul lamented that the Federal Court, which last month upheld the prosecution's appeal, had disregarded this.

"The court also ignored the questionable DNA evidence on the bloodstain found on a shoe placed in my car as well as my own DNA sample.

"The court ignored this despite the strong submissions made by my lawyers," he added.

The prosecution team led by deputy solicitor-general I Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah had argued that Musa was not a key witness in the trial and hence there was no need to call him.

However, Sirul's lawyers Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Rezua Merican submitted that the non-calling of Musa constituted a mistrial.

On the DNA evidence, the chemist had testified that there was a possibility the DNA from the bloodstain could be from Altantuya despite the doubts cast.

Motive not established

In the telephone conversation this week, Sirul reiterated that he was made a "scapegoat" in the grisly murder, where Altantuya was shot in the head and her remains blown up with military-grade explosives.

He is also distressed by political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's claim in an interview last month that "rogue policemen" were responsible for Altantuya's death in 2006.

Razak Baginda (left), a close associate of Najib, was charged with abetting the murder but later freed without his defence being called.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Sirul claiming he acted under orders and that he did not know both Altantuya and Razak Baginda before the murder.

He is also considering accepting an interview to reveal all on the murder after being approached by several Australian media.

Since the case was first heard at the Shah Alam High Court in 2007 up to its conclusion at the apex court last month, the murder motive was never established.

Sirul was absent when the Federal Court revealed its verdict, and news later emerged that he is in Australia.

The 43-year-old father of two is currently being held at the Immigration and Border Protection Department's facility in Sydney.

According to Sirul, he is well treated by the Australian authorities and he is staying alone in a room with four beds at the detention camp.

He said he was allowed to use his mobile phone and has access to the Internet.

Asked what prompted him to flee to Australia, Sirul said he had a premonition that he would be convicted. - mk

Sirul: Inikah balasannya?

Visa mak Sirul ke Australia sedang diuruskan...

 PAS kini sedang menyiapkan urusan visa dan pembelian tiket ibu bekas anggota komando polis, Sirul Azhar Umar untuk ke Australia bagi melihat perkembangan anaknya di sana.

Ketua Penerangannya, Datuk Mahfuz Omar berkata, segala urusan termasuk pasport milik ibu Sirul, Piah Samad, 74, telah selesai dan kini hanya tinggal urusan pembelian tiket dan visa untuk ke Sydney.

"Kini sedang menyiapkan proses visa dan tiket. Pasport (ibunya) juga telah siap.

"Dalam masa terdekat saya akan maklum. Memang dah agak dekat tapi nanti saya beritahu (bila akan berlepas)," katanya ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini hari ini.

Selain itu, Mahfuz (kanan) juga mengakui pernah beberapa kali berhubung dengan Saiful melalui telefon.

“Kadang-kadang saya telefon, kadang-kadang SMS. Saya hanya bercakap mengenai mak dia. Dia ucap terima kasih pada saya dan PAS yang ambil berat tentang mak dia dan diri dia.

“Saya tak bercakap langsung tentang kes ini. Tak nak dilihat seperti ambil kesempatan,” katanya.

'Dedah dengan kerelaan'

Mengulas soal tindakan Sirul mempertimbang untuk mendedahkan segala-galanya sekitar kes pembunuhan Altantuya Shaariibuu, Mahfuz berkata terpulanglah kepada bekas anggota polis itu.

“Bagi saya, ia mesti datang dari kerelaan untuk dedahkan apa yang terjadi dan berlaku dan siapa di belakang tindakannya sehingga menyebabkan mereka dijatuhkan hukuman," kata Mahfuz lagi.

PAS berhasrat membawa Piah ke Australia untuk bertemu Sirul yang ditahan imigresen negara itu di Sydney.

Kali terakhir beliau bertemu Sirul (kiri) dikatakan ketika Mahkamah Rayuan membebaskan anak keempatnya itu daripada tuduhan.

Sirul pada 13 Januari lalu diputuskan bersalah membunuh Altantuya bersama Azilah Hadri. Mereka dijatuhi hukuman gantung oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan.

Sirul tidak dapat dibawa pulang oleh kerajaan Malaysia kerana undang-undang Australia tidak membenarkan seseorang yang berdepan hukuman mati diekstradisi ke negara hukuman disabitkan.- mk

Pegawai perhubungan(PRO) Najib kaki tunggang...Bayar bekas pengarah Apco? PMO kunci mulut...

Pejabat Perdana Menteri (PMO) kini berdiam diri ke atas dakwaan bahawa ia membayar "jutaan" ringgit kepada kontraktor swasta untuk menguruskan perhubungan awamnya.

PMO juga tidak menjawab dakwaan bahawa kontraktor, Paul Stadlen, sebelum ini bertugas dengan firma perhubungan awam Apco Worldwide.

Kerajaan membayar RM76.8 juta kepada Apco untuk menggilap imej Malaysia untuk tempoh antara 15 Julai 2009 hingga 4 Jun 2010.

Kontrak itu juga dilaporkan disambung semula pada 2010 walau menerima kritikan meluas.

Stadlen dan Pasukan Komunikasi Kebangsaan PMO tidak mengulas mengenai emel, panggilan telefon dan juga kiriman teks daripada Malaysiakini berhubung dakwaan itu.

Laman Sarawak Report sebelum ini mendakwa, firma Stadlen diupah oleh PMO dengan bayaran sekurang-kurangnya RM3 juta setahun dan khidmatnya turut digunakan untuk projek berkaitan 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), yang bernilai RM1.5 juta.

Menurut laporan itu, Stadlen bertanggungjawab ke atas kenyataan tangkas PMO berhubung sabitan kes Liwat II pada 10 Februrari.

Stadlen juga dilaporkan bertanggungjawab ke atas kenyataan pada New York Times bahawa keluarga perdana menteri biasa hidup mewah, dan mewarisi kekayaan itu daripada keluarga.

Malaysiakini telahpun meminta PMO dan Stadlen mengesahkan dakwaan ini, dan menjelaskan peranan Stadlen dalam pasukan komunikasi itu.

Laporan The Wall Street Journal menyebut, Stadlen menganggotai pasukan komunikasi tersebut sejak 2013.

Stadlen menandatangani perjanjian dengan Malaysia pada 2009 bagi pihak Apco dan Mind Team Sdn Bhd. Beliau pada waktu itu merupakan pengarah urusan Apco Malaysia.- mk

Speedy PMO stalls on 'millions for ex-Apco man'...

After its lightning quick response to the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy verdict, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) now zips its lips on claims that it is paying "millions" of ringgit to a private contractor to manage public relations.

It also did not respond to allegations that the contractor, Paul Stadlen, was formerly attached with public relations firm Apco Worldwide.

The government paid Apco RM76.8 million to give Malaysia's public image an international boost from July 15, 2009 to June 4, 2010, and reportedly renewed the contract in 2010 amid public outcry.

Stadlen (right) or the PMO's National Communication Team did not respond to Malaysiakini's email, phone calls or text messages on the allegations.

Sarawak Report earlier reported that Stadlen's firm was retained by PMO at a minimum of RM3 million a year and was commissioned also for a 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-related project worth another RM1.5 million.

It also said Stadlen (right) was responsible for PMO's swift statement on the opposition leader's sodomy conviction on Feb 10.

Stadlen was also allegedly responsible for telling the New York Times that it is normal for the prime minister's family to live lavishly and that their wealth is from inheritance.

Malaysiakini had sought Stadlen and PMO to confirm these claims and clarify Stadlen's role in the communications team.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Stadlen, was already part of the PMO's National Communications Team in 2013.

Stadlen signed the 2009 agreement with Malaysia on behalf of Apco and Mind Team Sdn Bhd. He was then managing director of Apco Malaysia.

The Malaysian government had in the past few years made headlines for paying firms like Apco Worldwide and the now defunct Fact-based Communications to secure air time on global networks and opinion editorials in leading newspapers.

In 2011, former New Straits Times editor-in-chief A Kadir Jasin said that the PMO's National Communications Team is made up of 11 personnel, mostly former journalists.

This is a much larger team than the three officers who handled the PMO's public relations when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, Kadir wrote in his blog.- mk

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