Australia is willing to lend its cooperation should Malaysia seek the extradition of former policeman Sirul Azhar Umar, High Commissioner Andrew Goledzinowski said.
Speaking to local paper Sunday Star, he said although Australia would typically not permit a person on a death row to return to their home country, Sirul had overstayed his visa.
“Although he’s being held at a detention centre, he has the freedom to receive visitors and communicate with the outside world,” he was quoted saying.
Sirul, who was convicted together with colleague Azilah Hadri of murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, was sentenced to death in 2009.
However, he fled to Australia where he was detained by Australian immigration in Sydney after Interpol issued a Red Notice.
A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition.
Sirul has been held at the Villawood Detention Camp in Sydney since 2015.
Previously, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that the death sentence imposed on Sirul might be commuted to allow Australia to extradite him back to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Goledzinowski said Australia also seeks to foster better and greater ties with Malaysia today, after things took a rough turn in 1993 under Paul Keating’s administration.
“It was an isolated affair and ties between our two countries were not exactly thorny during Mahathir’s tenure then.
“We want to be the partner of choice and are willing to work in every area possible under the new administration,” he said.
He was referring to a “heated” episode where Keating labelled Dr Mahathir “recalcitrant” after the latter refused to travel to Seattle, the United States, to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting.
Keating later said he regretted his statement but never issued a formal apology.
“Well, it’s not an old Mahathir or an old Australia, because today, we are part of Asia and this is where we want to be as we have important trade and security links in this area.
“Mahathir says what he thinks and thinks what he says and we respect him for that.
“We are eyeing a smooth relation with the new administration as Australia is looking at Malaysia as the beacon of democracy in the region.
“Australia is the number one education destination for Malaysians, where more than 26,000 students study there and tourist arrivals from Australia has increased, with 571,000 travelling to Malaysia last year, and the number is expected to be higher this year,” he said.
Goledzinowski confirmed he has met Dr Mahathir and other ministers over the past few weeks in efforts to enhance the present cooperation between both countries.
He added he also met Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officials over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption case, although there has been no Australian connection so far.
“We have never been shy to investigate if it could be proven that a crime has been committed in Australia.
“But so far, there hasn’t been any referral to investigate,” he said, adding that he would also be meeting Attorney General Tommy Thomas this week.
Original article from https://www.malaymail.com/s/1647416/envoy-australia-awaiting-malaysias-request-to-repatriate-sirul?fbclid=IwAR2hFkmUraQ_x3UTh52gFXHbFkEhZ7PWcHktFf_0i_xCsfowrkvLd80ci1E