EXCLUSIVE Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar is vexed for being handed the death sentence for following a directive.
"If I die today, I would not find peace. I did what I was told and this is what I get in return," he told Malaysiakini in a recent telephone conversation from Australia.
However, he did not state if this was an admission of guilt on his part.
Sirul, who was convicted together with another former police commando Chief Azilah Hadri for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006, is also dissatisfied with the country's legal system.
He felt that his former superior Deputy Superintendent Musa Safri should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution. The latter was the former aide de camp of Najib Abdul Razak, who was then deputy prime minister and defence minister.
The Court of Appeal had in 2013 acquitted Azilah and Sirul as a result of a serious misdirection by the Shah Alam High Court. And this included the non-calling of Musa by the trial judge, Justice Mohd Zaki Yasin.
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
Sirul also reiterated his previous remark during the trial 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 was 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 in the murder but was later freed without his defence being called.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Sirul claiming that he acted under orders and had no prior knowledge of both Altantuya and Razak Baginda.
He is also considering, after being approached by several Australian media, accepting interviews to reveal all on the murder.
Since the case was first heard in 2007 by the High Court sitting in Shah Alam, and up to the decision by the Federal Court on Feb 10, the murder motive was never established.
Sirul was absent when the Federal Court revealed its verdict, and news later emerged that he was 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 is 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.
"If I die today, I would not find peace. I did what I was told and this is what I get in return," he told Malaysiakini in a recent telephone conversation from Australia.
However, he did not state if this was an admission of guilt on his part.
Sirul, who was convicted together with another former police commando Chief Azilah Hadri for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006, is also dissatisfied with the country's legal system.
He felt that his former superior Deputy Superintendent Musa Safri should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution. The latter was the former aide de camp of Najib Abdul Razak, who was then deputy prime minister and defence minister.
The Court of Appeal had in 2013 acquitted Azilah and Sirul as a result of a serious misdirection by the Shah Alam High Court. And this included the non-calling of Musa by the trial judge, Justice Mohd Zaki Yasin.
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
Sirul also reiterated his previous remark during the trial 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 was 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 in the murder but was later freed without his defence being called.Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Sirul claiming that he acted under orders and had no prior knowledge of both Altantuya and Razak Baginda.
He is also considering, after being approached by several Australian media, accepting interviews to reveal all on the murder.
Since the case was first heard in 2007 by the High Court sitting in Shah Alam, and up to the decision by the Federal Court on Feb 10, the murder motive was never established.
Sirul was absent when the Federal Court revealed its verdict, and news later emerged that he was 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 is 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.
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