THE last four years have been tough for the families of missing activist Amri Che Mat and pastor Raymond Koh.

The stricken relatives have received no news of the two men who appear to have vanished.

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has laid the blame on state actors for the disappearances, but not much action have followed the findings of the inquiry into the missing persons.

After months of hearing, Suhakam on April 3 delivered the verdict that Amri, who went missing on November 24, 2016, and Koh, who was last seen being abducted from his car on February 13, 2017, were abducted by “state agents namely, the Special Branch, Bukit Aman”.

“I have been waiting four years for my husband,” said Noorhayati Ariffin, Amri’s wife, last night on a webinar organised by Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (CAGED).

“It has been extremely difficult for me and my kids.”

Koh’s family expressed similar pain at the event held to mark International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

“The thing I miss the most about him is his presence and everything he taught me about life,” said Koh’s daughter, Esther.

Koh’s wife Susanna Liew, who has become the face for the victims of enforced disappearance, said it was the total lack of news that was most hurtful.

“It has been almost four years since the abduction and we do not have any news or updates.

“We don’t even know how is his condition,” said Liew.

The webinar was hosted by by CAGED spokesman Rama Ramanathan, who was joined by  Constitutional Law Committee co-chair Andrew Khoo and assistant law professor at International Islamic University, Dr Yazid Zul.

Yazid defined “enforced disappearance” as the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organisation or a third party with their authorisation.

Khoo called for laws to protect against such disappearances.

“If the government does not have a specific law for enforced disappearance, people will tend to think that the government is not taking this seriously,” said Khoo.

Rama said CAGED called on the government to act decisively to reform the police force. – August 30, 2020.