Malaysia’s top police official Razarudin Husain confirmed news of Sirul’s release from Australian detention and said police would discuss with the Attorney-General and the courts the possibility of seeking extradition.
Malaysia in April passed legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty, allowing people facing the punishment to seek a sentencing review.
Under Australian law, a person cannot be deported if they face the death penalty. Azilah, Sirul’s co-accused, remains on death row in Malaysia.
Shaariibuu’s murder has been at the centre of a political scandal for years. She was killed in a forest on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital in 2006, according to court records, but the question of who ordered the killing has never been answered.
Sirul was serving as a member of Najib’s personal security detail at the time of the murder. Civil society groups have alleged her murder was linked to her role as an interpreter in Malaysia’s purchase of two French submarines in 2002.
Najib, who was then defence minister and later became prime minister, has repeatedly denied allegations of links to Shaariibuu or corruption in the submarine purchases.