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BFF-37
MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY
Australia defends ties to toppled Malaysian regime
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Australia’s foreign minister
Wednesday defended her country’s ties with Malaysia’s former graft-ridden
government after Canberra was accused of being complicit in alleged
corruption by harbouring a fugitive.
Political heavyweight Anwar Ibrahim, who was imprisoned under Prime
Minister Najib Razak until his shock defeat in May elections, has slammed
Canberra’s “tainted” policy towards the former government.
Anwar cited the case of a policeman, now in Australian custody, who fled
Malaysia in 2015 after being sentenced to hang for the killing of a Mongolian
woman linked to a bribery scandal involving Najib’s government.
Anwar, who was released from jail after Najib’s defeat and is now
presumptive successor to 93-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has
called for the policeman to be sent home to face a new trial.
During a visit to Malaysia, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia
had not received an extradition request for the officer, Sirul Azhar Umar.
Asked about Anwar’s comments, she said Canberra in the past had simply
“worked with the government of Malaysia of the day.
“In the past 61 years it has been the same government,” said Bishop,
following talks with Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar’s wife and now deputy prime
minister.
“If we were waiting for a new government, we will be waiting for 61
years… that is patently ridiculous.”
Australia’s policy of not extraditing people to countries where they may
face the death penalty is seen as a barrier to getting Sirul sent back to
Malaysia.
Mahathir has said that his death sentence may be commuted to allow his
return to Malaysia.
The policeman maintains he was ordered by “important people” to murder the
Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, in 2006.
Altantuya was killed and her body blown up with military-grade explosives.
Her murder was the most shocking aspect of a scandal involving allegations
that an associate of Najib arranged huge kickbacks for the purchase of French
submarines in 2002.
Anwar, who was a leading member of the opposition when Najib was in power,
was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges that critics say were politically
motivated.
Since his election defeat Najib has been arrested and charged over a
scandal at state fund 1MDB.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1608 hrs