KUALA LUMPUR: Former cop Sirul Azhar Umar is currently waiting for the approval of a protection visa he is seeking in Australia after escaping the gallows in Malaysia.
His lawyer Datuk Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin said his client had been called for an interview by Australian immigration officials on Nov 25, following an application he made early this year.
Kamarul clarified that the protection visa application was not to seek protection from the Australian government but was a class of visa applied by those who had overstayed or passed the stage of their social visit visa.
"Let's be clear that it is just class of visa. The word 'protection' should not be confused with the idea that he is seeking protection.
"People who applied for this class of visa are saying that they would like to continue staying in the country and they have met all the criteria needed to stay there," he said, adding that his client's social visit visa expired early this year.He said it was hoped that Sirul would be released from the Australian immigration detention centre with the protection visa in hand.
"There will be some obstacles given that he was convicted by the apex court here which obviously will have some sort of impact on the application," he said, adding that the Australian government may also be reluctant to send his client back due to their position in respect of the death penalty.
Kamarul was speaking to reporters during a press conference at his law firm, the chambers of Kamarul Hisham & Hasnal Rezua in Jalan Sri Hartamas, here today.
The lawyer also said several parties from Malaysia and outside the country had approached Sirul while he was in detention offering to resolve his legal situation in Australia.
"We have received information from Sirul saying that there have been several groups of people who tried to contact him. In fact, there were also people who had gone to the detention centre to meet him in person but he declined the visits and calls," he said.
He also said there was a particular call made from overseas asking Sirul to remove his lawyers and spoke about possibilities of helping him to resolve his legal situation in Australia.
Kamarul added that in order not to jeopardise the chances of getting the protection visa, Sirul had to keep quiet about the murder case as per his Australian lawyer's advice.
"If he decides to say anything, he will say it under advisement of his lawyers in Australia and he will certainly do it under oath as part of the legal process," Kamarul said.
Sirul who is facing the death penalty for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006, is currently in Australia's immigration detention centre in Villawood Sydney.He was convicted by the Federal Court on Jan 13 last year. However, he left the country before the verdict was delivered.
He was then detained by Australian authorities a day after Interpol issued a red notice, following his conviction. NEW STREET TIME
No comments :
Post a Comment