My son is safer in Australia, says Sirul’s mom

Piah Samad, mother of convicted killer Sirul Azhar Umar, is now in Australia to meet her son and plead authorities to protect him. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 2, 2015.

The mother of convicted killer Sirul Azhar Umar has urged Australian authorities to protect her son, hours after she arrived in Sydney with PAS MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar and the party's foreign affairs head, Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad.

Australian media quoted Piah Samad as telling authorities to give her son "full protection".

"It's more [safe] in Australia than going back to Malaysia," said the 72-year-old, who was also accompanied by Sirul's sister, Noriatin Umar.

Sirul, now under immigration custory in Sydney, had reportedly said he was merely carrying out orders in the murder of Mongolian citizen Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.

The former police commando and Azilah Hadri were both convicted of the murder and sentenced to death by the Federal Court last January.

Mahfuz had said that their trip's objective was to support Sirul's family and urged all parties to respect the “humanitarian mission”.

"Sirul's mother really wants to meet him. We hope our departure is not being seen as a threat to anyone," he said.

"I consider this a humanitarian mission... fulfilling the wish of a mother who misses her son," he told a press conference before departing for Australia through a MAS flight at 11pm.

- TMI