Conversation with Sirul Azhar Umar on the 15th August 2017.

These are my notes of my conversation with Sirul Azhatr Umar on the 15th August 2017...jotted down in my hotel room after I spoke to him. I came across them this evening in my Mac....and I have truly forgotten about them until now. To retain its authenticity I have left it as it is without any changes except for two paragraphs where Sirul expressed his thoughts about certain people he had dealings with. I deleted these two paragraphs out of respect to the living.

Just a note...a month or so before this, Sirul had called me while I was in Perth but at that time I was unable to speak to him - and I asked me to call me back. He never did.

Conversation with Sirul Azhar Umar on the 15th August 2017. 

In Sydney to meet with Aljazeera.  

At around 2PM back at Hotel and thought that I will try calling Sirul one more time with the number that Mr A gave me. Sirul came to the phone and we talked for 20 minutes plus. In all I talked for about 2 minutes -he talked for the rest of the time…and did he had a tale to tell. I will now jot down the bits and pieces I remember of the conversation. 

Current UTK Boss - Sirul and him did ops together…shoot people together.

He never said he did not do the crime but felt totally let down for the lack of support from PDRM/KL for what sees as “doing his job”.

He emphasised that his father was a teacher. In his school days he was a prefect - was very neat and fastidious. If his uniform was not clean and in order he would not go to school.

He broke down when talking about his mother and daughter.

He talks about “perasaan halus” i.e. people have demonised him for what he did  - murder Altantuya - but all he did was to follow instructions/orders.

He tells me that he has not received DIBP (Department of Immigration and Border Patrol Australia) letters but he is aware that soon, in a matter of weeks or a month or two at the most…he will front up in court and state his reason why he should get a protection visa i.e that he was just doling his job.

This ties in with Mr B attestation that the reason his lawyers wrote to DIPB that Sirul had no objections to immigration decision to not grant him the protection visa was because his lawyers wanted DIBP to make a decision either way. If it is a "NO” then his lawyers,will fight Government to give Sirul a protection Visa. This is why Sirul tells me that he wants to wait for his day in court to tell his side of the story and plead his case of a protection visa on the grounds that he was just doing his job at the Australian Appeal Tribunal (AAT). Should he still not be given one by the AAT decision, he can later stand up in court to mitigate at the High Court level….and hope that he can convince the court that he should be a free man.

Sirul insists that he has not seen the letters from immigration. Sirul insist that he has not avoided talking to me in the past. He was prevented from doing so by the authorities in Villawood.

Authority has put a a notice outside his door which states that he is not to receive phone calls. He feels persecuted and isolated.

Sirul keeps repeating that he is not an animal to be caged and treated without respect.

He is adamant that he has not received letters from DIBP. Every letter, every parcel all opened by Villawood.

His training with UTK is keeping him steady and able to keep body and soul together but he tells me that he is affected strongly by what he has read of people condemning him for what he has done. He says he may be all that but he still has feelings and “perasaan halus”.

He complains that nothing good has ever been said or written in Media and said in public.

What is good about him...he said he was doing his job is loyal to PDRM and instructions from superior.

He has done nothing untoward while under detention.

Mentioned he was a prefect  - that in life he has always done the right thingy himself and his work at UTK.

He has remorse for murder. He has just not expressed it.

He was always prepared to see me and talk to me. It is the authorities that has stopped him from doing so…because he kept repeating…that if he did not want to see or talk to me…why has he been talking to me for so long this time that I got through to him.

He wants me to write about his other side. The “good” side. About his worry for his children. Especially his daughter growing up alone in Malaysia.He cried when talking about her but pulled himself together quickly. When asked about his mother…he choked…and then tells me that she was well. He asked for his mother and daughter to come over to visit him but he tells me that the Australian embassy has been putting obstacle in their way. I told him that his daughter will not be allowed into Australia after his son had overstayed. 

Many times in the conversation he told me that he had to stop because he had a class to go to…but he continued to talk with me.

He wants me to call again and try to come and see him in Villawood - but feels that Villawood authorities will not allow me to do so.

He details his altercation with a junior inspector in Villawood who had confiscated his phone…but he also said that he gave up his phone voluntarily when asked to do so. He tells me that he can only use a 3G . Indicated to me that he wants one. Still waiting for it. 

He is worried about his son needs in Auz and his daughter in KL. He mention something about giving her a house to live in. No other details.

He complains about Mr B bringing him Briyani all the time. “Saya bukan keling”.

He profusely apologies for not taking my calls before. Called me “bang” and at times “tuan”. Keeps repeating that he justs wants to be allowed to work and stay in Australia. He respects Auz and the government way of doing things.

He says that other inmates looked down upon him. They read what people have written about him on the NET and he knows he is looked down by other inmates.His training in UTK has been useful and allowed him to stand up to all this “ill will” he feels is coming from the other inmates. He is bothered that people feel ill towards him - inside Villawood and outside of Villawood.

He expressed disdain and contempt for KL lawyers.

As for Sydney lawyers…he said that he did not appoint them. He does not know who pays for them. And he understands that he is at their mercy. But he says he will do as instructed by them….which means he will keep quiet and behave himself until court hearings. And then at court he will do what he has to do to get his protection visa, freedom and get his daughter to join him.