AS Najib Razak’s political career comes to an end in GE14, time is also running out for convicted killer and self-professed scapegoat, Sirul Azhar Umar, in detention in Australia.

If Sirul is to be granted a protection visa, he has to prove to the Australian authorities that he was not behind the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, former lover of Abdul Razak Bagina, confidante of the ousted Malaysian PM.

The Guardian today reports that while Najib was caught up in a do-or-die campaign at the polls at home, Sirul received a visit from Khairul Anwar Rahmat, former head of  the Umno Youth wing. Khairul’s message to the former police commando was “Don’t say anything”, a source told the UK daily.

But Shirul may not be able to oblige. He is appealing for protection from the Australian government and his case is due to be heard by the end of the month. He may now be compelled to speak up and in the process, implicate others to save his own skin.

Greg Lopez, a Malaysia expert at Western Australia’s Murdoch University, said the new Pakatan Harapan government was also likely to re-open the Altantuya case.

“The fact no motive for the murder has ever been established leaves open the question that it was a state-sponsored killing and that needs to be thoroughly investigated. Najib could find himself in a very precarious situation.”

Lopez said the new prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would be looking to commute Sirul’s sentence and get him back to Malaysia.

Lopez said there were also questions over the relationship between the Australian government and Najib.

“How is it that an individual, who was standing trial for murder in one of the region’s most high-profile cases was allowed to come to Australia on a tourist visa and why were Malaysian officials allowed to visit and seemingly manipulate him in detention? Those questions have never been answered satisfactorily by the Australian government.” 

in 2006, Altantuya was snatched by men in a car in front of Baginda’s Kuala Lumpur home. At a remote point in the outskirts of the city, she was shot dead and her body blown apart with military-grade explosives.

in 2009, Sirul and his fellow officer were found guilty of and sentenced to death for the murder but no motive has ever been established. Neither of them had met Altantuya until they forced her into the back of a car. They had been engaged by Baginda to stop her harassing him for US$500,000 (RM2 million) she claimed she was owed for her assistance in negotiating a French submarine deal – yet one more of several scandals that had dogged the Najib administration.

Although the murder had marked Najib’s time in office, a direct link between him and the murder has never been established. Najib has denied, including by taking an oath at the mosque, that he was involved with or even knew Altantuya. – May 11, 2018.