The mother of a Malaysian police commando sentenced to hang in Kuala Lumpur has arrived in Sydney to plead with the Australian government to give him full protection and political asylum, describing his murder conviction in Kuala Lumpur as "utter nonsense."
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"It is safer here than in Malaysia for Sirul," said 74-year-old Piah Samat, referring to her son Sirul Azhar Umar, who has been sentenced to death over the murder of 28-year-old Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Ms Shaariibuu begged for the life of her unborn child before before being shot and blown up with C-4 military explosives in a jungle clearing on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
Mrs Samat intends to visit Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre, where Sirul is being held on immigration charges. Her arrival has prompted speculation the former bodyguard of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak could reveal explosive information that may implicate high-level Malaysian political figures.
Since being held in Villawood after his arrest in Queensland on January 20, Sirul has repeated an earlier claim that he was acting under orders when he and a police colleague committed the crime in 2006.
He has never revealed where the orders came from and no motive was ever established during his trial.
Allegations have simmered for eight years that Ms Shaariibuu was murdered to keep quiet about purported kickbacks to high-level Malaysian officials over the $US2 billion purchase of two French and Spanish-built Scorpene submarines when Mr Najib was defence minister.
Ms Shaariibuu worked as a translator in the later stages of negotiations.
Mr Najib strongly denies ever meeting Ms Shaariibuu or having any link to her and his government denies any wrongdoing in the submarine purchases, which are the subject of an investigation by magistrates in France.
Malaysia's highest court sentenced Sirul to death on January 13 but he fled last year to a family home in Ipswich.
Mrs Piah Samat arrived in Sydney on Monday with two officials from one of Malaysia's opposition parties, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS).
PAS foreign affairs spokesman Syed Azman said that he hoped the world would soon find out who gave the orders to kill Ms Shaariibuu who has been described as a jet setting party girl.
"It has been a big question mark for the whole of Malaysia for so many years," said Dr Azman. "We hope we can find something out when we talk to Sirul."
Dr Azman and Malaysian PAS MP Dato Mahfuz Omar denied having any political motive in accompanying Sirul's family to Australia. "It is more for humanitarian reasons," said Dr Azman.
A visit by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to Kuala Lumpur last week has prompted speculation that Malaysia will commute Sirul's death sentence to life in jail so that he could be extradited to Malaysia.
After meeting Mr Dutton, Malaysia's Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi replied "yes (it is) a possibility" when asked whether the death sentence that was imposed by Malaysia's highest court could be commuted.
Mr Dutton told journalists that Australia will consider any application for extradition but pointed out that a stringent legal process was involved. Under Australian law a person cannot be extradited to another country to face a death penalty unless the country involved guarantees it will not be carried out.
Legal experts say Sirul's death sentence could be commuted by Malaysia's attorney-general, a pardons board or a local sultan.
