KUALA LUMPUR – Former commando Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted of murdering Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, is still under an Interpol red notice, Malaysian police said.
Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said police are still looking for a way to have Sirul extradited back here from Australia, where he currently is after being released from immigration detention there recently.
“He has stated to Al Jazeera media that he wants to continue living in Australia, but there is still an Interpol red notice on him. His name is still on the red notice.
“We are studying ways to bring him here, and the matter is also with the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” Suhaily told a press conference at Bukit Aman, here today.
Suhaily was referring to Sirul’s remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera that was aired this morning.
Sirul, who is on death row in Malaysia, was placed on Interpol’s red notice watch list in 2015. He fled Malaysia the same year before the Federal Court’s decision to reinstate his murder conviction, which was handed down by the high court in 2009.
He and fellow former Malaysian Special Action Unit officer Azilah Hadri were both found guilty of Altantuya’s murder in 2006.
In his interview with Al Jazeera, Sirul said the order to kill Altantuya was given to “protect” then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“I’m going to tell you… specifically to protect the former (deputy) prime minister at that time, Mr Najib (Abdul Razak). So that’s it. My answer,” he told Al Jazeera English’s 101 East .
He also said his life would be in danger if he returned to Malaysia, and that he had promised his son, Shukri Azam, that he would stay in Australia and follow the country’s laws if given asylum.
He also said he would apologise to Altantuya’s family.
Sirul was released two weeks ago from the Villawood immigration detention centre in Sydney after the Australian High Court ruled on November 8 that indefinite immigration detention was unlawful. Australia has a policy of not deporting anybody facing the death penalty in their country of origin.
Najib had repeatedly denied involvement in Altantuya’s murder even though Azilah claimed Najib gave the kill order, saying she was a foreign spy. – November 24, 2023
