AFTER 22 months, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of pastor Joshua Hilmy and his Indonesian wife Ruth Sitepu ended today with no clear indication what happened to the couple.

The lawyer for the family, Philip Koh, told the inquiry that the police should change their standard operating procedures (SOP) on missing persons and be more transparent in their investigations.

“When the right evidence is adduced, then it should not be a missing person’s case and it should be classified as serious abductions or enforced disappearance.

“The investigation papers, which were not forthcoming, should also be made available during public inquiries,” he said during oral submissions today.

Koh – together with police observers, Bar Council and Indonesian civil society group KontraS – presented their oral submissions today.

During which, Koh told the panel that it should look into the recommendations by the previous Suhakam panel handling missing pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis activist Amri Che Mat.

Koh said it had been recommended that there must be demarcation between police and religious authorities.

“We recognised that there could be a threat to public order that the police could be involved.”

Suhakam’s inquiries into Koh and Amri’s disappearances have concluded that both men were most likely taken by Special Branch.

As such, Suhakam said they were cases of enforced disappearance, whereby the state or state actors are involved.

In the case of Joshua and Ruth, it was reported that they went missing after leaving their home on November 30, 2016.

Suhakam started a public inquiry on February 18, 2020, to look into the case.

Police observer SAC Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof said during his submission that based on witness statements and evidence presented, there was no indication of enforced disappearance.

“During the whole inquiry there were no witnesses who can state that their disappearance was at the hands of an individual or any group.

“No one can clearly prove the disappearance of Joshua and Ruth.”

Dzaffir also vehemently denied accusations the police were not transparent and had acted in bad faith.

Suhakam officers said they had conducted 24 sessions during the public inquiry calling in 26 witnesses to testify.

“There were 22 open sessions and two closed door sessions as the witnesses wanted to remain anonymous and there were also classified documents.”

Suhakam chief commissioner Hishamudin Yunus said the panel would look into all the evidence and statements presented.

“We will endeavour to come up with a decision as soon as possible. The secretariat will set a date for the decision,” he said at Suhakam headquarters today.

The Suhakam panel was chaired by Hishamudin and assisted by commissioners Jerald Joseph and Madeline Berma.

Joshua and Ruth’s disappearance was reported by their friend Peter Pormannan, who had known the couple since 2012. He lodged a police report on March 6, 2017, after not hearing from Joshua for months.

Ruth’s family also came to Malaysia to lodge an official missing persons report on February 28, 2018.

More than a year later, police said there were simply no leads.

The disappearances of Ruth and Joshua, Koh, and Amri remain Malaysia’s three high profile missing persons cases. – January 20, 2022.