Putrajaya says no room to commute Sirul’s death sentence

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there was no room for the government to commute the death sentence of Sirul Azhar Umar in a bid to secure a successful extradition.

This, he said, was because the highest court of the land had already made a decision on the sentence of Sirul, who had fled to Australia.

“If the government wishes to make an extradition request to a country that does not support the death sentence, the government can negotiate by considering punishments other than the death sentence.

“In the case of Sirul Azhar, the government does not have room for negotiation with the Australian government as the Federal Court had sentenced Sirul to death,” he said in a parliamentary written reply.

As such, he said the government has yet to make an extradition request and is still studying the best way to deal with the issue.

He said this in response to a question by DAP’s Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul.

Extradition depends on sentence

The Federal Court in January 2015 upheld the death sentence of Sirul Azhar and Azilah Hadri.

The two, from the police’s elite Special Action Unit, were convicted for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006 with military grade explosives.

The duo had served as bodyguards to then-deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is now prime minister.

Prior to the Federal Court upholding the death sentence, Sirul Azhar had fled to Australia, which is against the death sentence.

Ahmad Zahid in his written reply said Malaysia must state the punishment against Sirul Azhar if it puts in an extradition request to Australia.

“However, Australia is among the countries that do not support the death sentence,” he said.- Mkini