PERLIS Hope, an organisation founded by missing activist Amri Che Mat, was not involved with any elements planning to disrupt harmony, the Suhakam inquiry heard today. 

Perlis Special Branch officer ASP Razman Ramli told the inquiry that no evidence existed to show that the civil society group was a threat to national security. 

“There is no proof that it (Perlis Hope) was influencing people in (Shia activities),” he said at the Suhakam headquarters. 

Razman, who is also a Special Branch Social Extremism Division (E2) officer, was responding to Amri’s family lawyer Philip Koh’s question on whether Amri possessed any weapons or was a threat to the country. 

Earlier this year, Amri wife’s, Norhayati Ariffin, had said that the Perlis Mufti Department was investigating Amri on suspicion of involvement in Shia teachings. 

Norhayati had said she was concerned about a Facebook posting by Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin.

She said he had posted that Perlis folk should be wary of Perlis Hope. 

Perlis Hope was founded in October 2015 with the aim of helping the poor and needy. 

Suhakam commissioner Dr Aishah Bidin also asked Razman today if there was any proof that Amri was involved in causing unrest in the state.

Razman said there was no evidence to back this allegation. 

Aishah then asked if there had been any development in Amri’s case since his disappearance. 

Razman replied in the negative, adding they were not only focused on Amri’s case but others as well.

“Since his disappearance, there has been no development.”

Razman had been summoned by the inquiry following claims by Norhayati that he and former Perlis police chief Ab Rashid had information about Bukit Aman’s alleged involvement in her husband and Pastor Raymond Koh’s disappearance.

Norhayati had said a Special Branch officer, Sergeant Shamzaini Mohd Daud from Perlis, had told her that her husband was under police surveillance before he went missing.

Amri went missing on November 24, 2016. He is believed to have been abducted by a group of people in four-wheel-drive vehicles that were seen surrounding his car in Kg Padang Behor.

Koh was abducted on February 13 last year by several men in balaclavas who used black SUVs to block his car in Petaling Jaya.

Suhakam is conducting a public inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, to ascertain if they are cases of enforced disappearances. – June 26, 2018.