PUTRAJAYA: Sirul Azhar Umar, the former policeman who was sentenced to death in 2006 for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, may see his punishment commuted to life imprisonment.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that with the reduced sentence, Sirul would perhaps be more open to come back to Malaysia.
Sirul is currently being held at a detention centre in Sydney after he escaped to Australia in 2014 while out on bail during an appeal against his conviction.
Dr Mahathir said the government, however, cannot force him to return.
"But, if he still feels unsafe to return home out of fear someone is trying to kill him, then we cannot force him (to come back)," he said after chairing a cabinet committee meeting on strengthening government management.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
To a question, Dr Mahathir clarified that Malaysia did not put in any request to Australia to extradite Sirul.
On whether the government would reopen the murder case, the prime minister said there have been requests made for it to do so.
"Asking us to look into it, we will look into it," he said.
The Guardian, citing sources, had reported that Australian authorities had agreed to send Sirul home after Malaysia had agreed to cover the costs of bringing him back.
The English daily said Sirul was expected to leave Australia within a month. -- Report by Azura Abas, Syed Umar Ariff, Irwan Shafrizan Ismail and Zanariah Abd Mutalib