An Australian man expected in Perth after being acquitted by a Malaysian court of drug trafficking charges that carried a mandatory death penalty has failed to show.
Dominic Bird, 34, was scheduled to arrive home about 2.30pm (WST) on Saturday, bringing to a close an ordeal of more than two years during which he twice overcame efforts by Malaysian authorities to have him executed after he was accused of supplying an undercover detective with 167 grams of methamphetamine in March 2012.
Under Malaysian law, possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine carries a mandatory death sentence.
Mr Bird was acquitted in September 2013 but re-arrested as he prepared to board a flight back to Perth after the Malaysian Department of Public Prosecutors (DPP) launched an 11th-hour appeal.
The Malaysian Court of Appeal rejected the DPP's case on Wednesday, upholding the original trial decision, and the DPP has confirmed in writing to AAP that the matter will not be pursued further.
It's understood Mr Bird departed Malaysia at 8.30am local time on Saturday on an AirAsia flight bound for Perth.
However, there was no sign of him at the other end of the journey. It is not known if he is still in Malaysia, has flown to another destination or is arriving on a later flight.
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