'Australia is safer for Sirul' - mother

The 72-year-old Piah hopes that the Australian government will grant Sirul political asylum before full protection is given to him, the Australian media reported.

Piah, who is in Sydney with her daughter Norianti Umar, plans to visit his son at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre once clearance is obtained for them to do so.

Speculations are rife that Piah's presence in Sydney will shed some light on Sirul's next bold move : that he will reveal explosive information about the murder of Mongolia model and translator, Altantuya Shaaribu.

PAS Foreign Affairs chief, Dr Syed Azman Syed hopes the Sirul's ‘revelation’ will provide different perspectives on certain aspects of the case particulary the question of under whose orders was the assassination carried out.

“For so many years, this question is left unanswered," Syed Azman told Australian media as he was quoted in the report.

Syed Azman however dispelled the notion that the humanitarian mission to bring Sirul's family to Sydney, had any political motives behind it.

Piah and Noriatin departed for Sydney with five mission members including Syed Azman, PAS information chie Datuk Mahfuz Omar and the latter's lawyer.

When met by reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday, Mahfuz said the trip was a humanitarian mission to 'bring a mother to visit her son whom she misses dearly'.

The group is expected to return to Malaysia on March 7.

Sirul Azhar had been sentenced to death after he was found guilty of murdering Altantuya in 2006.

The Federal Court on Jan 13, had dismissed the earlier decision made by the Court of Appeal to acquit Sirul Azhar, 43 and chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 38.

The Federal Court's panel of five judges, led by Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Arifin Zakaria, had found both Sirul Azhar dan Azilah guilty and were given the capital punishment for their crime.

Sirul fled for Australia before the final appeal court judgement was made.