KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Mongolia has formally asked Malaysia to intensify talks with Australia for the lawful return of convicted former police officer Sirul Azhar Umar, with effective assurances against the death penalty, as part of a diplomatic push over Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder.

In a statement today, Mongolia’s special envoy Zandanshatar Gombojav said his government also wanted lawful ways identified for Sirul, currently in Australia, to testify in the civil proceedings.

“Mongolia and Malaysia are friends, and it is because we value this friendship that we raise this matter openly and with respect,” he said.

Mongolia’s Foreign Ministry has delivered an official démarche to Malaysia’s ambassadors in Bangkok and Beijing through its accredited diplomatic missions, while Zandanshatar is in Kuala Lumpur today to convey its positions directly.

The requests follow Mongolia’s expression of profound regret over the Court of Appeal’s January 20, 2026 ruling reversing the Malaysian government’s civil liability for the killing, although it reaffirmed respect for Malaysia’s judicial independence.

Mongolia asked that the legal challenge brought by Altantuya’s father, Dr Shaariibuu Setev, against the ruling and related claims be considered fairly, transparently and strictly on the facts, free from political or external interference.

It also sought prompt examination of any newly discovered or previously unexamined evidence, updates to the family’s legal counsel and an official written status update on the proceedings and matters raised.

On Sirul’s return, Mongolia emphasised that it did not seek anyone’s execution and that any arrangement must include effective assurances against the death penalty.

“A fair and final resolution of this case matters greatly to the trust between our two countries,” Zandanshatar said.

The envoy also launched a global public petition, “Dignity for Altantuya”, addressed to Malaysia and Australia in support of lawful accountability and clear information for the family.

Altantuya was shot dead and her body blown up with explosives in Selangor in October 2006.

The Federal Court reinstated the murder convictions and death sentences of Sirul and fellow former police officer Azilah Hadri in January 2015, after Sirul had fled to Australia in 2014 while on bail.

In the separate civil proceedings, the Shah Alam High Court in December 2022 ordered the two men, former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda and the Malaysian government to jointly pay Altantuya’s family RM5 million in damages, prompting appeals by the government and Abdul Razak.