'Sirul was made a scapegoat,' says Sirul's mother to Tun M

A source disclosed on Wednesday disclosed that the closed-door meeting between Piah and Sirul’s uncle with the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir was meant to listen to a mother’s heartwrenching plea for her son to be exonerated from death row.

“The meeting was also joined by former Batu Kawan UMNO vice-president, Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and PAS Central Information chief, Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

“Piah had revealed a lot of things to Dr Mahathir,” the source disclosed.

“Piah had pledged and sought the support of Dr Mahathir to save his son from the gallows. Piah, in her son’s defence said Sirul was a victim of circumstances and was turned into a scapegoat,” said the source when contacted by Astro AWANI here today.

Astro AWANI also learnt that the meeting took place at Yayasan Perdana in Putrajaya at approximately 4pm.

Corporal Sirul Azhar had gone to Australia before the Federal Court, in overturning a Court of Appeal decision, found him and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri guilty of having murdered Altantuya.

The Federal Court then issued a warrant of arrest for Sirul Azhar.

On Jan 20, Sirul Azhar was reported to have been arrested by the immigration authorities in Queensland, Australia, for an immigration offence. The report also said that he was being held at an immigration detention centre.

The source also revealed that Piah also explained to Dr Mahathir that Sirul had received orders and that he was being persecuted in the case.

“Piah had pledged to Dr Mahathir to assist her family as Sirul was just receiving orders. Piah had repeatedly said that the son was sabotaged and had been a victim of circumstances,” the source added.

The source had also shared several photos of the closed-door meeting where Khairuddin was spotted with Mahfuz at the meeting.