PUTRAJAYA – The father of murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu today said he supported a commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment for his daughter’s killer, Azilah Hadri, on grounds of sanctity of life.
The letter by Shaariibuu Setev was read out by Azilah’s lawyer J. Kuldeep Kumar during Federal Court proceedings today on Azilah’s application for his death sentence review to be commuted to imprisonment and caning.
Making his formal request for a commutation of Azilah’s punishment, Setev said: “It is crucial to recognise that the United Nations declares the sanctity of life, emphasising that all beings on this planet have a right to existence.
“My request stems from a deep respect for the humanity of Mongolians,” Setev added.
An original copy of the letter was produced in court and verified by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who was holding a watching brief for the Setev in this case.
Former police chief inspector Azilah today received a commutation of his death sentence to 40 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane. He was convicted in 2009 of Altantuya’s murder with fellow ex-cop Sirul Azhar Umar.
Setev’s letter also asked that the “relevance of this request” be conveyed to Sirul who was also convicted of murdering Altantuya by shooting her before blowing up her body with military-grade explosives. Sirul is currently in Australia.
“Let us honour the virtues of humanity and uphold truthful expression in every nation,” Setev said.
Later, lawyer Sangeet told reporters that Setev’s request and reference to Sirul implied that commutation of sentence should be extended to Sirul if he were to file a similar application for review as Azilah.
“My client (Setev) was acting according to his conscience. He supports the right to life and is against the death penalty,” she said, adding that Azilah’s reduced sentence to life imprisonment is “acceptable” to Altantuya’s family.
Kuldeep meanwhile, said today’s proceedings mark the first time a murder victim’s family has issued their support for the commutation of a convicted individual’s sentence, and that Azilah is expected to be released from the Sg Buloh prison sometime in 2034.
“We’re grateful for what (Altantuya’s) father has done. Azilah is very relieved,” he added.
In delivering the court’s decision today, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who led the three-member bench, said the panel was unanimous in its verdict and had considered Setev’s letter as a mitigating factor.
Azilah filed his death sentence review bid after Parliament passed the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 in July last year, giving judges discretion to impose a life imprisonment between 30 to 40 years instead of a mandatory death sentence for crime such as murder and drug trafficking.
Under the law, male convicts shall also be punished with whipping of not less than 12 strokes if they are below 50 years of age.
In 2009, three years after Azilah and Sirul were charged in the Shah Alam High Court, both were convicted of murdering Altantuya.
In 2013, the duo succeeded in overturning their conviction at the appellate court after a three-member panel, which included Tengku Maimun, found the conviction to be “unsafe”.
The Federal Court in 2015 led by the then-chief justice Tun Arifin Zakaria restored their conviction and reinstated their death sentence.
Prior to the 2015 ruling, Sirul fled to Australia, where he remains due to the country’s anti-death penalty laws preventing it from extraditing individuals who could face the death sentence in their home country. – October 10, 2024
