THE Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and three other Malaysians enters its third day of hearing today.

The focus will be on former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar who has been subpoenaed to appear as a witness.

Since Koh’s disappearance on February 13, Koh’s family have repeatedly said that the police were not keeping the family informed about the investigation into his abduction.

Suhakam is also probing the disappearance of Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth, both last seen in November last year, and activist Amri Che Mat, also reported missing since last year.

The inquiry aims to determine if these are cases of enforced disappearance, a term describing abductions where the authorities are involved.

Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai is chairing the panel made up of Suhakam commissioners Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleha.

Witnesses who have testified are Koh’s son Jonathan Koh, Koh’s wife Susanna Liew, Roeshan Gomez, who was driving behind Koh’s car when the abduction took place, and Harapan Komuniti director G. Sri Ram.

The Malaysian Insight brings you live updates from today’s proceedings:

5pm: Today’s session of the public inquiry ends and will resume on November 2. Khalid will be called back on November 21 to give his statements. 

4.35pm: Koh family lawyers ask Khalid what evidence the police found at homes of the suspects killed during a shoot-out in Kedah on June 17. 

The suspects were allegedly involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking, and had links to a group in southern Thailand. 

Khalid said they found evidence of Koh when they went back to the scene again to investigate. 

“Police went back to the scene one or two days after the shoot-out and found pictures of Koh, his house and vehicles. We also found number plates.”

The lawyers then asked why the police didn’t find this evidence when they checked the house for the first time. 

Khalid said the police saw the items but didn’t pick it up because it was not connected to their case (drug smuggling and human trafficking). 

3.30pm: Koh family lawyers ask Khalid if he believed the abduction was a professional job. 

Khalid said the abduction was well organised, but shot down claims that had been made in the media that he had said it was meticulously carried out. 

3.05pm: Koh family lawyers ask Khalid about Koh’s wife Susanna Liew’s statements that she was disappointed with the police for investigating her husband for proselytising instead of looking for him. 

Khalid says they investigated Koh because police reports of him proselytising had been lodged in Perlis. 

“We were investigating Koh from all angles. We had to look into his background and activities. 

“We were also carrying on with the main investigation (on his abduction).”

2.30pm: Lawyers for the Koh family ask Khalid to explain a message he posted on his Twitter account asking social activists groups to come forward and explain the allegations. 

The lawyers say that social activist group Caged was formed and made a statement that the police were no closer to solving the case despite CCTV footage. They also said it could be case of enforced disappearances. 

Khalid said they were called because they made serious allegations regarding the abduction.  

“What is the basis for their accusations?

“They cannot accuse the police of being the ones who abducted Pastor Koh.

“That’s what I was made to understand from the statement they made. That’s why they need to call them up. 

“We had no issues with their objectives.”

1.10pm: The public inquiry takes an hour break for lunch.

1.02pm: Koh family lawyers ask Khalid about the three social activist groups that had to take this case to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, and that the UN had viewed it as inaction by the police. 

Khalid said that from 2014 to September this year, 10,207 people had been reported missing. 

“Since 2014 till now, 751 people are still missing. 

“Why doesn’t the UN ask about all the others? They are commenting on the inaction because a report was lodged with the UN.” 

12.30pm: The panel shows Khalid a video of Koh’s abduction.

Koh family lawyers ask Khalid if he could tell by watching the video whether the abductors did an efficient job.

Khalid agreed it was well organised but said he had seen better organised jobs.

The lawyers ask Khalid whether the masked abductors and the three SUVs they drove up in make it look like a professional job.

Khalid replied the abductors could have learnt everything from the movies or TV.

12.05pm: Koh family lawyers ask Khalid if he thinks the pastor’s abduction is a “special operation”.

Khalid said no.

The lawyers ask Khalid if such a premise would seem likely to the layperson, to which Khalid said it is possible.

11.20am: Suhakam officers ask Khalid if he had told Koh’s family not to speak to the media or attend candlelight vigils.

Khalid said he met the family twice. In the first meeting, he had told them not to speak to the media as it would jeopardise investigations.

“I told Koh’s wife Susanna Liew that we will do everything to investigate the incident. I also asked for their cooperation,” he said.

11am: Hearing resumes with former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar called as the fifth witness. 

10.40am: Bar Council lawyers ask Jonathan whether the pastor had been prosecuted for proselytising.

Jonathan said his father had never been charged.

Police observers ask Jonathan whether he would be aware of the importance and relevance of the questions put to him by the investigating officers, to which he replied he would not.

The hearing adjourns for a five-minute break.

10am: Commissoner Mah asks Jonathan about the pastor’s state of mind after religious authorities raided his church in 2011, following which the senior Koh had received two bullets in the mail. 

Jonathan said his father did not at first understand the gravity of the situation.

“After a while he was worried about the situation and that was when we moved house twice, before the February 13 incident.”

Mah asks Jonathan if Koh had felt threatened last year over his work as a pastor.

Jonathan said Koh was more relaxed and beginning to put the raid behind him.

“The only incident in 2016 (was when) my father received a prank call. In the background there was music and the words ‘Allah Akbar’ (were heard).”

9.40am: Koh family lawyers ask Jonathan about the times he was questioned by police on February 13, March 6 and 23. 

Jonathan said most of the questions were to find out whether Koh was proselytising.  

“The police was more interested to know whether Koh was proselytising. 

“I was frustrated because they were not interested in his abduction and at the lack of information given.”

“They also asked about his visits to the villages in Kedah to proselytise .”

9.10am: The hearing resumes with Pastor Koh’s son, Jonathan taking the stand. – October 30, 2017.