Sirul has exposed the hidden weaknesses of our authorities

Lim Kit Siang says Altantuya’s murderer has exposed the “feet of clay” of the IGP, AG, Judiciary and PM.

KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive and former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar, in one fell swoop, has exposed the “feet of clay” of the pillars of the country viz. the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General, the Judiciary and the Prime Minister on the 2006 Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.

The whole world is now witnessing this fact, said DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang, in commenting on statements attributed to Sirul in Australia.

The fugitive, held at the Villawood immigration detention centre in Sydney since January 21 after an Interpol red notice, is still maintaining that he acted under orders and was being made into a scapegoat.

“If I die today, I would not find peace. I did what I was told and this is what I get in return.”

Lim pointed out that during his first telephone call with Malaysiakini on Tuesday 17 Feb, 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.”

There should be fresh investigations into Altantuya’s murder after Sirul’s claims, argued Lim, that he was ordered to kill her.

Lim, who is also DAP Parliamentary Leader and Gelang Patah MP, noted that Khalid Abu Bakar had been 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 November 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?

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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?

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 Najib Abdul Razak made the same mistake committed by his one-time confidante, Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted of abetting in the murder of Altantuya, pointed out Lim.

Razak blabbered at the end of last month about the motive of Altantuya’s killing, reminded Lim, saying: “Only the two policemen know. Rogue police do kill people, like in so many remand cases.”

Najib’s outburst on Sirul’s claims are still ricocheting throughout the country.

The Prime Minister’s outburst on Sirul’s claims, he reiterated, was either exculpatory (evidence that exonerates an accused) or incriminating (evidence that makes someone appear guilty of a crime). Lim conceded that it would be exculpatory if he was asserting that Sirul was talking “utter” or “total rubbish” that he murdered Altantuya in 2006 together with Azilah under orders IF there were no such orders.

The question that immediately arises, according to Lim, is how Najib knows that the two convicted police commandos had not received any such orders from their superior to kill Altantuya and destroy evidence by blowing up her body using C4 explosives?

He can say there was no such “order” from him, but how could he say that there were no such “orders” from other people? How can he be so sure?

Since he is also implicated in the allegations flying around, both inside the country and worldwide on the murder of Altantuya, Lim asks, “isn’t a thorough, comprehensive and independent (even international) investigation into the Altantuya’s murder, the best way to resolve the riddle?”

Najib’s outburst is still ricocheting throughout the country, warned Lim, for everyone is asking as to how Najib could know that Sirul’s claim was “utter rubbish” and “total rubbish”.