Australian authorities have approved a request from Putrajaya to extradite former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar back to Malaysia, reported The Guardian.

The report quoted a source saying that the deal was reached after Malaysia agreed to cover the costs (of bringing Sirul home), and promised that he would receive fair treatment upon return.

Malaysiakini is trying to verify the news with the Home Ministry and the Attorney-General's Chambers.

According to the report, Sirul, who was convicted of murdering Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, will leave Australia within a month.

His return indicates the possibility of Malaysian authorities reopening the files on Altantuya's gruesome killing.

In 2015, Sirul and his colleague Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death for the murder of Altantuya in 2006.

Both of them were at the time bodyguards to then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Azilah is presently on death row in prison, but Sirul fled to Australia three years ago.

The previous BN government did not extradite him, citing Australian law which does not recognise the death sentence.

Calls to reopen the Altantuya case emerged after Pakatan Harapan replaced BN as the federal government after the 14th general election.

On May 19, Sirul told Malaysiakini that he was willing to come home to assist in the case if he received a full pardon.

About two weeks later, however, he said that he does not want to return, as he would be "jailed and killed".

De facto Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim had called for Sirul to be brought back to Malaysia. He also called for a new trial "that's clearly transparent".