Home Minister Saifuddin: Sirul hasn’t applied for death sentence review, only Azilah

Home Minister Saifuddin: Sirul hasn’t applied for death sentence review, only Azilah



Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted and given the death sentence for murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu, has not applied for a review of his death sentence, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today said. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Sunday, 26 Nov 2023 2:42 PM MYT


PUTRAJAYA, Nov 26 — Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted and given the death sentence for murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu, has not applied for a review of his death sentence, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today said.


He told reporters at the 2023 PKR National Congress that only Sirul’s fellow Special Action Unit commando Azilah Hadri, who was also sentenced to death in 2009 for the October 2006 murder of Altantuya, had applied for a review of his death sentence.

“There is no information yet,” he said when asked if Sirul had already applied for a review.


“I can only confirm that Azilah did.”


Earlier, New Straits Times reported Saifuddin confirming that Azilah was among the around 1,000 detainees who had applied for their death sentences to be reviewed.

Yesterday, Najib denied assertions that he had exerted interference or influence over Sirul in a statement issued by his legal firm Shafee & Co.

The former prime minister urged Sirul to be brave and to disclose any information he may have regarding the purported mastermind, in the interest of uncovering the truth, transparency and justice.

Najib's statement comes after Aljazeera English’s 101 East programme aired an exclusive interview yesterday with Sirul in Canberra, Australia, said to be his first media appearance since his release from detention more than a week ago.

The now 51-year-old convicted former police commando had fled to Australia to escape a death sentence in Malaysia for the murder of Altantuya.

In Aljazeera English’s 101 East interview, Sirul claimed that he was made a scapegoat and was caught in a political game where he was paid a large sum of money by a lawyer to exonerate Najib from any links to the brutal murder in 2006.

Sirul was released from Australia’s detention centre last week after spending almost a decade inside, but he still cannot be deported as the Australian government's policy does not allow the return of someone facing the death penalty.

Both Sirul and Azilah were sentenced to death in 2009 for the October 2006 murder of Altantuya in a gruesome case that garnered national interest and fuelled political conspiracy theories that remain popular to this day.