KUALA LUMPUR: One of the two former police commandos sentenced to death for the 2006 murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu is seeking a royal pardon from the Selangor ruler, The Star reported on Friday (Jan 15).

Azilah Hadri filed his petition with the Sultan's secretary on Friday, his lawyer Datuk Hazman Ahmad told The Star.

Mr Hazman said a copy would also be handed to the Attorney-General and Selangor Mentri Besar.

"It will be heard by the Selangor pardon's board chaired by the Selangor Sultan," Mr Hazman was quoted as saying.

Ms Altantuya, who was involved in negotiations for a French submarine deal involving a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, was apparently shot and her body blown up with military-grade explosives in a jungle near Kuala Lumpur in October 2006.

There have been allegations that Ms Altantuya had been silenced over her knowledge of alleged kickbacks to high-level Malaysian officials.

Mr Abdul Razak Baginda, the Najib associate, was charged with abetting her murder but subsequently acquitted.

Azilah and another police commando, Sirul Azhar Umar, were sentenced to death in January last year despite lingering suspicions of a possible cover-up in a high-profile case that was covered by local and international media. Sirul had fled to Australia in October 2014.