It is "ridiculous" to suggest that Sirul Azhar Umar, convicted of murdering Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu and sentenced to hang, be allowed to stay on in Australia if his death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment.
Ramkarpal Singh, the lawyer representing Setev Shaariibuu, father of the murdered woman, pointed out that Sirul should understand that he was in no position to bargain over the predicament he finds himself in.
"If his death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment by the authorities here, there would be no reason for Australia to continue detaining him and he should be sent back to Malaysia to serve his sentence," the DAP Bukit Gelugor MP said in a statement.
Ramkarpal reminded that Sirul that as a"convicted murderer", he must serve out his sentence and cooperate with the Malaysian police on the question of who ordered him to kill Altantuya.
"It is ridiculous to suggest that he be allowed to stay on in Australia in such circumstances.
"And why is he being allowed access to the press by the Australian authorities to the point that he is able to hold regular press conferences?
"Is this how detainees are treated in Australia?" Ramkarpal queried.
Ramkarpal was referring to Sirul's remarks in British newspaper Guardian which quoted him as saying he would not reveal the identity of the person or persons who ordered the murder of Altantuya.
In an earlier exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Sirul had expressed willingness to travel back to Malaysia if he were accorded a full royal pardon.
He also declined the offer of life imprisonment, saying he preferred to remain in Australia where he is currently being detained in the Villawood Detention Center in Sydney.
Sirul Azhar even denied killing the Mongolian woman, saying he had handed her over to his colleague Azilah Hadri, at the murder scene in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam on the night of Oct 19, 2006. Azilah is currently on death row in Malaysia.
Do its part
In the interviewed conducted by Guardian at Villawood, Sirul expressed fear that if he returned to serve a life sentence in a Malaysian jail, he would be killed.
Ramkarpal (above) said Australia should do its part when the time came.
"Justice must be served in Altantuya's case and Australia ought to play its part in ensuring the same is achieved by deporting Sirul to Malaysia upon his death sentence being commuted or abolished," he added.
In 2015, Sirul and Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death for Altantuya's murder. The duo was part of then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's security detail.
Sirul fled to Australia three years ago before the Federal Court reversed his acquittal by the appeals court.
The previous BN government did not extradite him, citing Australian law which does not recognise the death sentence.
Calls to reopen the Altantuya case emerged after Pakatan Harapan replaced BN as the federal government after the 14th general election. -Mkini
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