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MP SPEAKS Sirul Azhar Umar is showing to the whole world the “feet of clay” of our inspector-general of police, the attorney-general, the judiciary and our prime minister in their mishandling of the 2006 Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.

In his first telephone interview with Malaysiakini on Tuesday, Feb 17, 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 swoop he exposed the “feet of clay” of the pillars of our country, Inspector-General of  Police Khalid Abdu Bakar, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, the judiciary and Prime Minister Najiob Abdul Razak.

Many Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including the DAP MP for Bukit Gelugor Ramkarpal Singh, who is also lawyer for the family of the murdered Mongolian woman, have called on IGP Khalid to initiate fresh investigations into the Altantuya’s murder after Sirul claimed that he was ordered to kill her.

However, Khalid 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 merits renewed scrutiny into the case.

Khalid had been heading the federal police force since May 2013, and was Deputy IGP from April 2011.

Is Khalid saying, ‘I never knew’?

Is Khalid seriously suggesting that he had never known that Sirul’s first police statement, on Nov 19, 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 of Nov 19, 2006, it raises a serious question about his fitness to continue as  the No 1 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  Azilah Hadri had murdered Altantuya, but that they were acting under orders and had been offered money for the killing.

So, why didn’t the police act on Sirul’s statement to the police in November 2006?

With Sirul reaffirming what he had then told the police, 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 translator?

While the Federal Court’s conviction of Sirul and Azilah is not disputed, why had the Attorney-General’s Chambers 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?

Prime Minister Najib 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.

This is because all Malaysians, as well as the entire police force, had expected a more forceful response from Khalid to Razak’s insinuation that all cases of custodial deaths were due to “rogue policemen”.

The outburst by Najib 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 his cry can be seen as 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 the pillars of our country, IGP Khalid, AG Gani, the judiciary and the prime pinister 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?


LIM KIT SIANG is DAP Parliamentary Leader and the party’s MP for Gelang Patah.

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