Due to the fact that it would be unsafe for him to return to Malaysia, former police officer Sirul Azhar Umar, who is currently facing the death penalty for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in Mongolia, is pleading for his life in Australia.
He also expressed regret and begged for Altantuya's family's forgiveness in an exclusive conversation that was made public with Aljazeera English's 101 East.
Despite being found guilty of the murder by Malaysia's highest court, he maintained that he was not the murderer.
He said he was used as a scapegoat and duped into playing a political game, in which he acknowledged accepting RM1 million to "shut his mouth" from an unidentified source when he was in Australia. He also leveled a number of grave, unsubstantiated accusations on a few well-known figures.
"I'm pleading with this community to welcome me. I swear to my son that I will never, ever break the law in this place. I'll pay attention to everything. I know that going back there would be extremely dangerous for me.
"I want to start a life with my child here in Australia, no matter what happens." I hope that I am accepted for who I am by the Australian community. I'm not a bad guy.
"I adore Australia with all of my heart and soul. Give me another opportunity. Just one more thing. I will offer my sincere apologies to Altantuya's family. Pardon me, please. In his first interview since being released from the Villawood immigration detention center in Sydney two weeks ago, he told the Al-Jazeera, “That's it.”
Following an Australian High Court ruling that extended immigration detention is illegal, Sirul was one of the dozens of immigration detainees released.
A day after his release, Sirul claimed to have met with a Malaysian police officer who informed him that the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs had called the Malaysian High Commission to inquire about his safety in Canberra.
“They assured him of my safety. However, I'm incredibly unhappy because everything about me seems horrible based on the report. The people in this village are terrified of me. They believe Sirul to be dangerous,” said Sirul.
In 2006, Altantuya was shot in the head in Puncak Alam, Selangor, in a forest. Later, explosives were used to blow up her corpse.
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