KL may commute death sentence for murderer of Mongolian model

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday that the government might commute the death sentence imposed on a former police commando convicted of the murder of a Mongolian model, allegedly the lover of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a former associate of Datuk Seri Najib , The Straits Times Malaysia Online reported on Saturday.

“We may cancel the death sentence on him but replace it with a jail term so he can return to Malaysia, Mahathir told a press conference referring to Sirul Azhar Umar is in Australian custody.

But he maintained that Malaysia had not requested Sirul’s extradition as reported by the English newspaper, The Guardian.

Sirul and his fellow police commander Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death in 2009 over the killing of the model Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.   They were part of an elite police unit guarding VVIPs, including then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak at the time of the murder.

They allegedly drove the model to a jungle clearing in Shah Alam, Selangor, where she was shot and blown to pieces with military-grade explosives.  But Sirul denied he carried out the killing, claiming he was acting on orders from his superiors and he merely drove the victim to the scene of the murder.

Earlier in May, Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga wrote to Dr Mahathir asking him to help bring about justice in the murder case.

Top Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim suggested that Sirul be brought back to Malaysia for a fresh trial.