PUTRAJAYA must find out immediately what had happened to the two activists whom the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) concluded were kidnapped by Special Branch, the wife of one the missing men said.

Norhayati Ariffin said no one bothered about their plight these past two years since her husband, Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat, and pastor Raymond Koh, vanished under mysterious circumstances. 

“They must start a task force to reinvestigate the case and find those responsible,” Norhayati told The Malaysian Insight.

“Those who ordered their abductions must be brought to justice.”

Amri was abducted in November 2016 near his home in Kangar, Perlis, while Koh was snatched in February 2017 in Petaling Jaya. Until today, there is no news about their whereabouts.

On April 3, after an 18-month public inquiry, Suhakam concluded that police’s Special Branch from Bukit Aman abducted the men.

The panel based its findings on both direct and circumstantial evidence and after evaluating all the evidence comprehensively. 

Despite the outcome, there is not closure for Norhayati or her family but it is a new start in Amri’s case for the authorities to act on.

“The report was conclusive because now it will open the eyes of the authorities to ensure that this case must be taken seriously and not be left idle with no answers and justice,” she said.

During, the inquiry the panel was told that a Special Branch officer from Perlis told Norhayati that Bukit Aman was involved in the abduction of Amri and Koh.

However, the officer, Shamzaini Mohd Daud, later told the inquiry that Norhayati’s testimony was false.

Norhayati said they already knew that police were involved from the beginning because there was a delay in the investigations when her husband was first reported missing.

“They didn’t go all out to look for Amri despite hearing that the Special Branch was involved (Shamzaini testimony).

“This is evident since the day he went missing until Suhakam revealed its findings.”

Hoping for a miracle

The 46-year-old primary school teacher and mother of four is now hoping for a miracle that her husband will be found.

“We still don’t know what had happened to him. I leave it in the hands of God and don’t want to think the worse of what might have happened to him.

“Who could have done such a thing to Amri and Koh? To make them disappear like that.”

She also said their four daughters aged 12, 17, 19 and 21 are longing for their father’s return.

“We will only get closure when Amri is found and those involved in these enforced disappearances are brought to justice no matter who they are.”

An inquiry was established to ascertain if Amri, Koh and two others – pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth – were victims of enforced disappearance.

International human rights law defines forced disappearance or enforced disappearance as when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organisation, or by a third party with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of a state or political organisation. – April 13, 2019.