Advertisement

Ex-High Court judge to lead six-man team to probe Pastor Koh, Amri’s enforced disappearances

Danial Dzulkifly
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Abdul Rahim Uda are seen during appointment of the special task force on the enforced disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Putrajaya June 26, 2019. — Picture by Miera Zulyana
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Abdul Rahim Uda are seen during appointment of the special task force on the enforced disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Putrajaya June 26, 2019. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

PUTRAJAYA, June 26 — Former High Court judge Datuk Abd Rahim Uda will lead a special task force investigating the enforced disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat.

Rahim will lead five other members of the task force to investigate the report made by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in April in which it concluded that the police Special Branch was directly involved in Koh and Amri’s enforced disappearance, said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We at the ministry view the report in a serious manner as it throws serious allegations against the police to the extent that it has created a negative perception of the force who are entrusted to keep the peace.

“The task force will investigate whether the police Special Branch was indeed involved but of course, beyond that, we would also like to find the real truth on the whole thing,” he said at the Home Ministry here today.

Muhyiddin said the task force will be given six months to complete its investigations and submit a report to him, which he will subsequently present to the Cabinet for further action.

The families of pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat attend the announcement of Suhakam’s public inquiry findings into the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Kuala Lumpur April 3, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara
The families of pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat attend the announcement of Suhakam’s public inquiry findings into the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Kuala Lumpur April 3, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara

However, Muhyiddin said the task force’s investigation will focus on Amri’s case first as Koh’s case has been brought to the courts following an ongoing trial of former Uber driver Lam Chang Nam, who was charged in January last year for kidnapping the pastor.

“This is to avoid any sub judice. The task force will look into pastor Koh’s case after the trial ends,’’ said Muhyiddin.

Other members of the task force include Datuk Mokhtar Mohd Noor (former head of the police legal department), Datuk Zamri Yahya (Police Integrity and Standard Compliance Department Director), Datuk Muhammad Bukhari Ab. Hamid (Director of Operations for the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission) and Mohd Russaini Idrus (Division Secretary for the Police Commission).

Related Articles IGP: Cops will keep hands off task force on Pastor Koh, Amri’s enforced disappearances Muhyiddin: Special taskforce to investigate enforced disappearances on the way Global rights group fears Pakatan going the wrong way on reforms