KUALA LUMPUR (June 8): Malaysia has not yet officially filed a request for the extradition of Sirul Azhar Umar to Malaysia, nor has Malaysia agreed to cover the costs to bring him back, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Mahathir gave a simple "no" to questions on a The Guardian report yesterday that Australian authorities had approved a request from Malaysia to extradite the former prime ministerial bodyguard convicted of the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, adding that the Malaysian government "cannot force him (Sirul) to come back".

He said Sirul "has a choice" as to whether or not he wants to return to the country as the Malaysian government mulls re-opening the investigations into the murder of Altantuya.

"People have asked us to re-open investigations [on the case] and we are looking [into that]," said Dr Mahathir.

"If he (Sirul) fears for his life, we cannot do anything about it. If he fears that other people would kill him, he has a choice of not coming back (to Malaysia)," he said.

Dr Mahathir also reiterated that the Malaysian government is considering reducing Sirul's sentence from death penalty to prison sentence as Australia's extradition laws do not allow the nation to send home a person who is facing death penalty.

In the report, The Guardian quoting a source said the Malaysian government had recently approached Australia to request that Sirul be brought back to Malaysia, and that the plan had been given the green light after Malaysia agreed to cover the costs. It is believed Sirul will leave Australia within a month, it added.

Sirul is one of two police officers found guilty of murdering Altantuya in October 2006, in an investigation that involve Abdul Razak Baginda, a former aide of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The Court of Appeal acquitted the duo on Aug 23, 2013, but the Federal Court had on Jan 13, 2015 unanimously reversed their acquittal and restored the court order for their mandatory death sentence.

Sirul escaped to Australia in 2014 prior to the Federal Court decision, and has been detained at the nation's immigration detention since.

Last month, Sirul was reported to have rejected a suggestion to accept life imprisonment in exchange for his return to Malaysia, and expressed fear for his life if he is sent back.

"I don't want to go back. People say: 'Don't give a pardon.' I would be killed in jail," Sirul reportedly said in a separate interview with The Guardian.