DISCUSSIONS WITH PM OVER SIRUL
DPM says convict may return to country if mandatory death sentence can be changed
THE deportation of Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, will be discussed with the prime minister, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“If Malaysia’s mandatory death sentence (for murder) can be changed, he (Sirul) can return,” she said when asked to comment on Sirul’s political asylum bid that was rejected by an Australian court on Monday.
Dr Wan Azizah said this after the third anniversary celebration of the China Entrepreneurs Association in Malaysia (PUCM). The event was held in conjunction with the 45th anniversary of Malaysian-Chinese diplomatic relations.
Present were PUCM president Datuk Keith Li and Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian.
An Australian Attorney-General’s Department spokesman said yesterday that Sirul could be extradited back to Malaysia on the condition that an undertaking was provided that the death penalty would not be carried out.
Australia’s news portals had reported that Sirul’s political asylum bid was rejected by an Australian court on Monday.
He was sentenced to death in 2015 for murdering Altantuya.
On the issue of banners in Bangsar here, which called for the removal of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to be replaced by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Wan Azizah said: “It is a mischievous act to break us.”
On Malaysian-Chinese relations, she said ties remained strong despite Malaysia’s change in government.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and China hit an all-new high last year as it grew 13 per cent to US$108.6 billion (RM443 billion) from US$96 billion in 2017, while the number of Chinese visitors to Malaysia increased almost 30 per cent to 2.94 million last year.