Malaysia and Australia today inked two treaties on mutual assistance in criminal matters and extradition, after negotiations and the drafting process were finalised in record time.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and Australian Minister for Justice and Customs Christopher Ellison signed the treaties during a low-key ceremony in Putrajaya this morning.

Concluded less than a year after the terms and conditions of the treaties were first negotiated early last December, these will come into force 30 days after both parties indicate compliance with all requirements.

"We have a number of treaties with other countries, but I don't think we've negotiated ones as quickly as we have with these two," remarked Ellison at a press conference following the signing ceremony.

In his speech, Abdul Gani said the treaties constitute the countries' most recent bid to tackle terrorism, corruption and other crimes that have taken an increasingly 'transnational' dimension in recent years.

"The conclusion of these treaties fills an urgent need for transnational co-operation among our law enforcement agencies as criminals expand and diversify their activities, both within and beyond our national borders," he said.

"The treaties will also ensure that the law and legal frameworks will facilitate the efforts of our law enforcement agencies instead of being a barrier in their pursuit and prosecution of criminals."

Important additions

The mutual assistance treaty covers co-operation in obtaining evidence through the judicial process, voluntary statements, witnesses, the identification and location of persons, and restraint in dealings and forfeiture of instruments involved in a crime.

The extradition treaty facilitates the formalisation of a bilateral mechanism for the arrest and surrender of persons accused or convicted for an offence.

Malaysia has bilateral agreements on mutual assistance and extradition with several countries in addition to member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Other bilateral agreements in force, such as Malaysia's 10-year-old treaty on extradition with the US, are being revised, said Abdul Gani.

"These (two) treaties are important additions to Malaysia's network of treaties on international co-operation to combat crime. They also herald a new era of co-operation between the AG's Chambers of Malaysia and the AG's Department of Australia," he said.

No Malaysian link

On another matters, Ellison confirmed that Australian police officers had interviewed Internal Security Act detainee Azman Hashim.

He also revealed that the Australian police have ruled out any connection between Azman and the 17 Muslims arrested last week in Australia under suspicion of plotting terrorist acts.

"The operation in Melbourne and Sydney involved the arrest of 17 people. The advice that I have from the Australian Federal Police is that Hashim is not related to that operation. The advice that I have is that Hashim is not related to that matter in Australia," he said.

Ellison emphasised that Australian police were "happy with the co-operation they have received from the Malaysian authorities" and the progress of investigations in the matter.

Azman, who has been detained at Kamunting, Perak, since February 2003, was alleged to have trained Abdul Rhakib Hasan, one of the 17 persons arrested last Tuesday.

According to a report yesterday in The Sun , Abdul Rhakib received basic training in 2002 under Azman in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.