PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar defended the
“humanitarian trip” to reunite murder convict Sirul Azhar Umar with his
mother Piah Ahmad saying it is out of the PAS leader’s own pocket.
Mahfuz had brought Sirul's mother, sister, Noriatin Umar, and four others with him on his trip to visit Sirul at the Villawood Immigration Centre in Sydney.
"I funded it myself," Mahfuz told Malaysiakini.
The mission has received a lot of flak, with many questioning why PAS was spending so much money to see a death row escapee convicted for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Asked to respond, Mahfuz stood his ground and reiterated the humanitarian side of his trip for the sake of an elderly mother.
He also said his trip was aimed at seeking the truth, and to discover the motive behind the act in the nation’s most sensational murder case.
"The second (objective) of my mission is to find the motive, which was not revealed by the court... I want to find the truth," he said.
"However, I will find (the truth) not through Sirul, but through multiple sources," he added
Sirul himself has not discussed the murder during their meetings, Mahfuz said.
‘Not funding Sirul against Najib’
The Pokok Sena MP also brushed off allegations made by a pro-Umno blog that the opposition was funding Sirul, in hopes of getting him to purportedly blame Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the Altantuya murder.
"Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, A Kadir Jasin have all clearly asked the prime minister to step down, so that has nothing to do with Sirul," he said.
Sirul, a former police commando, previously told Malaysiakini he had acted under orders and is mulling a tell-all interview with the Australian media.
Najib has however brushed off Sirul's claims as "utter rubbish".
Sirul and colleague Azilah Hadri have been sentenced to death for Altantuya’s murder, while Najib’s close associate Abdul Razak Baginda who had been charged for abetment in the murder, was released without his defence being called.
Tuesday was Piah’s second meeting with Sirul, after the teary reunion on Tuesday where the latter had the chance to enjoy his mother’s sambal ikan bilis.
Yesterday, Mahfuz said Sirul wolfed down beef rendang his mother cooked for him.
"He finished the whole tupperware we brought for him," said the PAS leader.
Mahfuz and Piah will be visiting Sirul daily until Friday.
Although there is a Interpol red alert on Sirul, Australian laws bar the country from deporting anyone facing a death penalty at their home country.
Mahfuz had brought Sirul's mother, sister, Noriatin Umar, and four others with him on his trip to visit Sirul at the Villawood Immigration Centre in Sydney.
"I funded it myself," Mahfuz told Malaysiakini.
The mission has received a lot of flak, with many questioning why PAS was spending so much money to see a death row escapee convicted for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Asked to respond, Mahfuz stood his ground and reiterated the humanitarian side of his trip for the sake of an elderly mother.
He also said his trip was aimed at seeking the truth, and to discover the motive behind the act in the nation’s most sensational murder case.
"The second (objective) of my mission is to find the motive, which was not revealed by the court... I want to find the truth," he said.
"However, I will find (the truth) not through Sirul, but through multiple sources," he added
Sirul himself has not discussed the murder during their meetings, Mahfuz said.
‘Not funding Sirul against Najib’
The Pokok Sena MP also brushed off allegations made by a pro-Umno blog that the opposition was funding Sirul, in hopes of getting him to purportedly blame Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the Altantuya murder.
"Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, A Kadir Jasin have all clearly asked the prime minister to step down, so that has nothing to do with Sirul," he said.
Sirul, a former police commando, previously told Malaysiakini he had acted under orders and is mulling a tell-all interview with the Australian media.
Najib has however brushed off Sirul's claims as "utter rubbish".
Sirul and colleague Azilah Hadri have been sentenced to death for Altantuya’s murder, while Najib’s close associate Abdul Razak Baginda who had been charged for abetment in the murder, was released without his defence being called.
Tuesday was Piah’s second meeting with Sirul, after the teary reunion on Tuesday where the latter had the chance to enjoy his mother’s sambal ikan bilis.
Yesterday, Mahfuz said Sirul wolfed down beef rendang his mother cooked for him.
"He finished the whole tupperware we brought for him," said the PAS leader.
Mahfuz and Piah will be visiting Sirul daily until Friday.
Although there is a Interpol red alert on Sirul, Australian laws bar the country from deporting anyone facing a death penalty at their home country.
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