Death penalty of Najib's ex-bodyguard commuted

Federal court reduces his sentence to 40 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has commuted the death sentence of an ex-police guard of former premier Najib Razak, after the country changed its law on capital punishment.

- 

Azilah Hadri, one of two former security officials for Najib convicted over the 2006 murder of Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian model allegedly linked to Najib and one of his former advisers, will instead serve a sentence of 40 years' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane, Chief Justice Maimun Tuan Mat said in federal court in Putrajaya on Oct 10.

Malaysia abolished the mandatory death penalty in 2023 while keeping capital punishment as an option for some offences ranging from drug trafficking and terrorism to murder.

After that, prisoners on death row were allowed to apply to have their sentences reviewed.

While Azilah has been imprisoned in Malaysia, the other convicted murderer, Sirul Azhar Umar, left the country for Australia, which will not extradite him because Malaysia upholds the death penalty.