Police will discuss Sirul's return to M'sia with AGC

The police will engage with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the courts to discuss the repatriation of Sirul Azhar Umar, who was sentenced to death for the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain told Bernama that the AGC needed to be consulted as the matter involved the Malaysian and Australian governments.

“We will discuss this matter with the relevant parties because he has already been sentenced.

"The application for repatriation needs to be referred to the attorney-general's office because this involves the Malaysian and Australian governments.

“We have officers there (in Australia) that can meet with Sirul because he is free,” Razarudin (above) was quoted as saying.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution briefly told FMT that he would issue a statement on the matter within the next 48 hours on the government’s next steps.

Both Razarudin and Saifuddin confirmed that the former police officer was freed from Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre in Australia yesterday.

This came after the Australian High Court ruled on Nov 8 that indefinite immigration detention was unlawful.

Following the ruling, Australian Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a joint statement that the government was considering other measures that may be appropriate to ensure community safety.

They said individuals who are required to be released as a result of the High Court's order will have appropriate visa conditions imposed on them in line with the need to protect the community, and that such conditions would be based on individual circumstances.

Death sentence

Altantuya, a Mongolian national, was murdered in October 2006 and her remains were blown up with military-grade explosives.

Sirul and fellow Special Action Unit commando Azilah Harun were convicted of the murder and sentenced to death in April 2009.

The court acquitted former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda of abetting the murder without his defence being called in October 2008.

Azilah is on death row at Kajang Prison but Sirul fled to Australia prior to the apex court upholding the duo's conviction and death sentence in 2015.

The Federal Court reversed an earlier Court of Appeal decision that quashed the guilty verdict of the two men. Sirul flew to Australia after the Court of Appeal ruling while the prosecution was appealing to the apex court.

Sirul was in the custody of Australian authorities, who have a policy of not deporting anybody facing the death penalty in the country of origin.

Malaysia has a moratorium in place on carrying out the death penalty and has not executed anyone since 2017, but the death penalty itself has not been repealed.

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