Sri Lanka is confident that Malaysia would expel LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s successor Kumaran Pathmanathan aka ‘KP’ wanted on terrorism charges. Although no formal announcement has been made, ‘KP’ has been recognised by various LTTE fronts as their top representative.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama last Friday (May 29) requested Malaysian Defence Minister Dr. Ahamd Zahid bin Hamidi Y. B. Dato Seri to hand over ‘KP’ to facilitate ongoing investigations into LTTE operations overseas.

Well informed sources told The Island that the appeal was made on the sidelines of the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. A Foreign Ministry press statement on Bogollagama’s meet with his Malaysian counterpart issued on Saturday didn’t refer to Sri Lanka’s call for KP’s extradition though it said Sri Lanka had urged Malaysia to proscribe the LTTE.

Authoritative sources said that ‘KP’ had sought refuge in Malaysia some time ago after his presence in Thailand came to light. India, too, had made inquiries when KP’s presence was made public.

Sources said that a high profile presence of the LTTE in Malaysia had been revealed in an unprecedented FBI investigation which targeted an LTTE arms procurement ring involving Singaporeans and Indonesians.

Sources said that some of the funds for procurement of armaments were to be transferred from a Malaysian Bank.

Ongoing police investigations have also revealed that a Lieutenant Colonel of the Sri Lanka Army on the Tigers’ payroll now in custody had visited Malaysia before the collapse of the LTTE..

A few days before the killing of Prabhakaran, Sri Lanka monitored ‘KP’ directing a close associate of the LTTE leader trapped in the Vellamullivaikkal area to hold the army until an international lifeline could be thrown in.

Recently Sri Lanka appointed Brigadier Udaya Perera as Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia to meet a new threat posed by the LTTE. Perera is the first serving army officer to receive a diplomatic appointment. Sources said that the appointment followed after Perera impressed foreign ministry mandarins at a special meeting called to brief top envoys of several countries in the run up to the final battle.