Things have not been looking good for Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ever since his letter to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) backing Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua surfaced.

The Opposition is demanding that he explain the letter and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that the Cabinet was not briefed about the letter, did not help.

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang questioned why the letter was sent directly to the FBI and not through the Foreign Affairs Ministry while PAS questioned if Ahmad Zahid had over-stepped his powers.

Ahmad Zahid’s letter surfaced during the trial of Phua who is currently facing illegal gambling betting in the US.

The details of the letter, dated Dec 18, 2014 had first appeared on the South China Morning Post on Dec 30, 2014 where Ahmad Zahid had wrote that Phua is ‘neither a member nor is he associated with the Hong Kong 14K Triad.'

The letter was addressed to the FBI’s deputy director Mark Giuliano.

“Mr Phua has, on numerous occassions [sic], assisted the Government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security and accordingly we continue to call upon him to assist us from time to time and as such we are eager for him to return to Malaysia,” the daily quoted Hamidi from his letter.

PAS is also demanding Ahmad Zahid to explain what were the projects that Phua was involved in.

To date, Ahmad Zahid has not commented on the matter.

Meanwhile, questions were also raised as to how the former police commando Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 43 were allowed to leave the country while waiting for his appeal case to be heard.

Although the police had said that it was not wrong for anyone with a pending court case to leave the country as long as he or she returned on the day of judgement, it continued to raise questions on how the Immigration laws are observed.

“Even PTPTN loan users were not allowed to leave the country and are stopped at the airport before boarding. How can they allow this man, whose appeal is one of the biggest murder case in the country, be allowed to leave just like that,” one reader commented over teh tarik yesterday .

Sirul who was not present when the Federal Court delivered its judgment yesterday is said to be in Australia.

According to a source, Sirul did not have enough money to return to the country. The Federal Court had also issued a warrant of arrest for Sirul yesterday.

The police is said to be working with the Immigration Department to check if Sirul had left the country and was quoted saying they had no idea if Sirul had indeed left Malaysia two months ago as reported.

Why wasn't Sirul who was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death four years ago, considered as flight risk by the authorities?

The Inspector General of Police had since vowed to find Sirul but isn't prevention better than cure?

The authorities need to answer and keeping mum is no longer an option if the government is serious in regaining the people' trust.