Malaysian businessman implicated in murder flees to Australia

A Malaysian businessman implicated in the murder of a land rights activist in Sarawak last month has fled to Australia.

A Malaysian timber businessman implicated in the murder of a prominent land rights activist in Sarawak last month has fled to Australia, authorities have confirmed, raising questions over whether he can be extradited to Malaysia, which carries the death penalty for serious crimes.

The businessman, named in a police charge sheet cited by online investigative portal Sarawak Report this week as Lee Chee Kiang, is understood to have fled Sarawak on June 23, two days after activist and opposition party candidate Bill Kayong was shot dead as he sat in his car at traffic lights in the coastal city of Miri.

Sarawak police confirmed this week that a man with the honorary Malaysian title of Datuk was a suspect in the case and was ­believed to be in Australia, though they did not name him.

Mr Lee is the third prominent Malaysian fugitive in as many years to head to Australia, following the example of Sirul Azhar Umar, a former elite Malaysian commando and bodyguard who flew to Australia in the middle of a retrial for the murder of Altant­uya Shaaribuu, a translator linked to a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Mr Umar was charged in his absence with murder and ­sentenced to death along with a second police commando, but has claimed to be a scapegoat for high-ranking Malaysian officials involved in Shaaribuu’s death.

He is currently in Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre while his application for a protection visa is assessed. Earlier this year, he released several videos recanting his previous claims, and exonerating Mr Najib from involvement in the murder.

A third Malaysian, wanted in connection with the murder of Malaysian banker Hussain Naj­adi, spent two years in Australia before returning voluntarily to Kuala Lumpur and spending just eight days behind bars.

Najadi founded the AmBank institution now at the centre of a $US6 billion ($8bn) financial scandal involving Malaysian devel­opment fund 1MDB, including $1bn transferred into Mr Najib’s private accounts from companies linked to 1MDB.

Malaysian lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu said Australia was clearly now viewed as a safe harbour for Malaysian fugitives who know they may capitalise on its refusal to extradite where it may lead to the death penalty.

The Australian understand Malaysian and Australian police authorities are co-operating in the current case, though an Interpol Red Notice has not yet been issued for Mr Lee’s arrest.