In an interview with Malaysiakini from Australia, he congratulated Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim on the general election victory this month, and said he was willing to assist the new government, “to tell what actually transpired provided that the government grants me (a) full pardon.”
Malaysiakini did not say how the interview was conducted.
Sirul fled to Australia after he and former chief inspector Azilah Hadri were found guilty of Altantuya’s murder. She was reportedly killed in a forest in Subang in 2006 and her body blown up with explosives.
He has been held at an Australian immigration detention centre in Sydney for the past three years. Azilah is on death row in Kajang Prison.
The case has been linked to the Malaysian government’s purchase of two French-built Scorpene-class submarines and alleged kickbacks by an ally of Najib Razak, who was defence minister at the time.
Sirul, a former police officer assigned to VIP bodyguard duties, noted that he had previously served under Dr Mahathir and Anwar. He thanked Anwar for urging this week that a fresh trial be held.
Sirul has previously pointed out that a key witness, Musa Safri, the aide-de-camp to then deputy prime minister Najib Razak, had not been called at the trial.
Yesterday, the Mongolian president urged the new Malaysian government to reopen the case. A senior criminal lawyer has also suggested that the two former policemen be called as crown witnesses, while DAP politician Ramkarpal Singh has called for a royal inquiry to find out the truth behind the murder.
Lawyer: Make ex-cops crown witnesses in Altantuya murder case