Convicted murderer Sirul Azhar Umar, who was arrested by Australian authorities a week ago, has yet to be produced before a magistrate for his extradition hearing.

           

This is according to his lawyers, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Rezua Merican, both of whom are in Sydney to meet their client.

 

Malaysia’s Attorney-General’s Chambers will need to make a formal application for extradition, requiring Sirul to be brought to court for the request to be heard by a magistrate.

 

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously said that his ministry had submitted a request to extradite Sirul.

 

Meanwhile, Sirul’s lawyer Kamarul ( left ) said his client is looking at hiring Australian lawyers to represent him in his fight against detention and possible extradition.

 

"I can confirm that we have met Sirul and he is well and well-treated by the Australian authorities,” Kamarul told Malaysiakin i by telephone today.

 

"Besides this, we are seeing or engaging Australian lawyers to discuss his detention. Sirul has also expressed his desire that we should continue to represent him and deal with his legal matters.”

 

When asked whether they knew whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers had filed an application to extradite him, Kamarul said he cannot confirm the matter.

 

Kamarul said his client was detained by Australia's Immigration and Border Protection Department following the Interpol’s red notice issued on Jan 20.

 

Unaware of Sirul’s mother’s remarks

 

Asked to comment on reports which appeared in PAS organ Harakah , where party leaders met Sirul's mother Piah Samat, who expressed that she felt her son was "betrayed", Kamarul said he and Sirul were not aware of such report and hence, could not comment on the matter.

 

Piah, 74, was reported to have said that his son had been betrayed for merely doing his duty as a police officer and hopes that her son will be freed despite being sentenced to death for the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.

 

"Only Allah knows how I feel, I can only pray that he remains safe," Harakah quoted Piah as saying.

 

Sirul was arrested on Jan 20 in Brisbane where he had been staying with his 19-year-old son and a relative, and is now being detained at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre, a maximum security prison in Australia.

 

While Australia and Malaysia have inked an extradition treaty, Sirul’s deportation is expected to be hampered by Canberra’s firm stand against death penalty, where it will not deport anyone facing capital punishment back to the country demanding it.