The last thing former police commando Sirul Azhir Umar wanted to do is to show to the world the “feet of clay” of the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General, the Judiciary and the Prime Minister in their mishandling of the 2006 Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.
In his first telephone interview with Malaysiakini on Tuesday 17th February, Sirul said:
“I was under orders. The important people with motive are still free. “It is not like I do not love the police (force) or the country, but I acted under orders.”
But this is exactly what Sirul has done, for in one fell swoop he had exposed the “feet of clay” of the pillars of our country, the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General, the Judiciary and the Prime Minister.
Many Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including the DAP MP for Bukit Gelugor Ramkarpal Singh, who is also lawyer for the family of the murdered Mongolian, have called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to initiate fresh investigations into Altantuya’s murder after Sirul claimed that he was ordered to kill her.
The IGP, however, is obstinate that the police will not re-investigate Altantuya’s murder even though new allegations have surfaced on the ground that Sirul had not divulged information that merited renewed scrutiny into the case.
Khalid had been the Inspector-General of Police since May 2013 and was Deputy IGP from April 2011.
Is Khalid seriously suggesting that he had never known that Sirul’s first police statement on 19th November 2006 after his arrest for the murder of Altantuya was to confess that he was acting under orders and was offered money to kill Altantuya and destroy all evidence by blowing up her body with military explosives?
If Khalid really did not know about the existence of Sirul’s police statement on 19th November, 2006, it raises a serious question about his fitness to continue as the No. One Policeman in the country.
In the circumstances, what Sirul said in Australia is merely a re-statement of what he told the Police in November 2006, not only that he and Azila Hadri had murdered Altantuya but were acting under orders and offered money for the killing.
Why did’nt the police act on Sirul’s statement to the police in November 2006?
With Sirul reaffirming what he had told the police in November 2006, isn’t this sufficient evidence for the police to re-open investigations as to the mastermind and the motive for the murder of the Mongolian?
While the Federal Court’s conviction of Sirul and Azilah is not disputed, why had the Attorney-General and Federal Court judges failed to raise the question that both Sirul and Azilah had no motive to murder Altantuya, and that the police should continue investigations to bring to book the “mastermind” who had the motive to order Sirul and Azilah to murder Altantuya?
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had made the same mistake committed by his one-time confidante, Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted of abetting in the murder of Altantuya, when Razak blabbered at the end of last month about the motive of Altantuya’s killing, saying: “Only the two policemen know. Rogue police do kill people, like in so many remand cases.”
Was Sirul a “rogue policeman” on his own accord or was Sirul a “rogue policemen” under orders?
I am surprised that the IGP, who is supposed to defend the image and integrity of the 130,000-strong police force, was so meek and ineffectual when his men and women in blue were maligned by Razak Baginda’s aspersions, as Malaysians as well as the entire police force had expected a more forceful response from the IGP to Razak’s insinuation that all cases of custodial deaths were due to “rogue policemen”.
The outbursts by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the MCA Chinese New Year open house yesterday that it was “utter rubbish” and “total rubbish” for Sirul to claim that he had acted under orders to murder Altantunya was really very rash and imprudent, as it could be self-incriminating as well.
Najib’s outbursts are still ricocheting throughout the country, for everyone is asking as to how Najib could know that Sirul’s claim was “utter rubbish” and “total rubbish”!
Is Najib prepared to explain what he meant by his outbursts?
It is a very painful and shameful affair for Malaysians to see our pillars of the country, the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General, the Judiciary and the Prime Minister exposing their feet of clay to the world as a result of Sirul’s statement in Australia.
When will this chapter of shame for Malaysia end?