KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – The family of a Mongolian translator murdered in Malaysia 18 years ago asked the government yesterday to seek the extradition of one of her killers who fled to Australia.
Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28, was shot in 2006 and her body blown up with military-grade explosives near Kuala Lumpur.
Two former police officers who were bodyguards to then defence minister Najib Razak, who was Malaysia’s prime minister from 2009 to 2018, were convicted of her killing.
Lawyers acting for Altantuya’s family said the Malaysian attorney general should request the extradition of Sirul Azhar Umar, who fled to Australia in 2015 and was held in immigration detention until his release last November.
The request follows the successful appeal this month of the other bodyguard convicted of Altantuya’s murder, Azilah Hadri, against his death sentence. Malaysia’s federal court commuted Azilah’s sentence to 40 years in jail.
The Southeast Asian country removed the mandatory death penalty for crimes such as murder last year, instead giving judges the discretion to impose lesser sentences.
Australia does not conduct extraditions to countries with capital punishment and Sangeet Kaur Deo, a lawyer acting for Altantuya’s family, said there was now “no excuse for further delay”.
“The (attorney general) is urged to act quickly and decisively in securing Sirul’s immediate return to face his sentence,” Sangeet said in a statement.
Altantuya’s killing was linked to a scandal which allegedly saw kickbacks doled out during a 2002 deal to purchase French submarines, on which the Mongolian national worked as a translator.
Allegations have long circulated that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor were involved in the murder. Both have denied the claims.
Najib also publicly denied having had an affair with Altantuya.
Altantuya’s lover Abdul Razak Baginda, a close aide to Najib, is a central figure in the scandal and was accused of arranging the kickbacks. He was also tried over the case but acquitted of abetting the crime.
