THE public inquiry into missing pastor Raymond Koh resumes today after the suspension of his case was lifted by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

Koh’s family are hoping that the inquiry will shed answers on his disappearance last year.

They are also hoping that the new government will look into their plight more seriously and give them closure.

Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, wants the government to trace those responsible for his abduction.

In an interview with The Malaysian Insight last week, she said while the government is trying to fix debt-laden Malaysia, it should not lose focus on finding her husband.

Koh’s inquiry was suspended on January 16 when police said they had charged part-time Uber driver Lam Chang Nam with kidnapping the pastor.

Police used Section 12(3) of the Suhakam Act 1999, which states that if the subject of an inquiry is heard in the courts, the commission shall immediately cease the inquiry.

Koh was abducted in Petaling Jaya on February 13 last year by about 15 men in three black SUVs.

The abduction was caught on closed-circuit television cameras and described as a well-coordinated operation.

The inquiry today will continue with the probe into missing Perlis activist Amri Che Mat.

Taking the stand will be Inspector Mohd Azizie, a Special Branch officer from Pulapol.

The Suhakam inquiry is to determine whether the disappearance of Koh, Amri as well as pastor Joshua and his wife, Ruth Hilmy, in 2016 were cases of enforced disappearance sanctioned by the state. 

The Malaysian Insight will carry the proceedings live:

1.15pm: Malaysian Bar member Andrew Wong asks if Immigration has a suspect list for those leaving the country.

Hamid said there is a suspect list for those who have been questioned before exiting the country.

The suspect list is usually given by the police, Home Ministry and other agencies.

Wong then asks if they can get the information on whether Koh and his wife Susanna Liew were on the list.

Hamid said he will check.

Koh family lawyer Philip Koh said the pastor was stopped and questioned nine times while Liew was stopped seven times from 2011 to 2012.

The inquiry ends and resumes tomorrow. 

1.05pm: The Raymond Koh inquiry starts by calling witness, Immigration Department assistant deputy director Hamid Momong.

Suhakam officers ask him in what division is he attached to.

Hamid said he has been with the safety and passport division since 2016.

Suhakam officers then ask him about Koh’s movements in and out of the country for the last six years.

Hamid said the department has record of Koh movements from 2011 to 2017.

However, they do not have records of him leaving the country in 2012.

He said that it could be blocked.

Koh travelled frequently in 2014 and 2015 on average of three times a month, he said.

In 2016, Koh travelled an average of once a month and 2017, he travelled only twice.  

12.40pm: Police observers ask the panel if they can call Suhakam officer Nur Adlin as a witness for Amri case. 

The reason is that they want to ask her about the conversation between Shamzaini on Parid Audio who testified earlier in the inquiry. 

Suhakam officers object on the grounds that under Section 14 of the Suhakam Act 1999, they can procure any evidence or call any witness they deem necessary. 

Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai said the police request has been denied on the grounds that she is a case officer. 

He said there is no wrongdoing on her part and if she testifies, it will not help the inquiry. 

Mah said all statements are confidential.  

11.10am: The panel asks Faisol how he got Shamzaini’s contact number.

Faisol says he cannot reveal who gave him the number as he does not want the person to be harassed.

Police observers ask Faisol if Shamzaini was truthful in his testimony.

Faisol says he is quite confident that Shamzaini did not tell the truth.

Police ask Faisol why he sent the message to Shamzaini on the day the latter was due to testify.

They ask if Faisol wanted to put pressure on Shamzaini, and that was why the second time he testified, he wanted to swear on the Quran.

Faisol says no.

Police then ask Faisol if him contacting Shamzaini was akin to intimidating a witness.

Faisol says no.

The inquiry takes a break.

10.45am: The inquiry calls up Perlis PKR chief Mohd Faisol Abd Rahman.

Police observers ask Faisol if he knows that Shamzaini was a witness in the Suhakam inquiry.

Faisol says he knows.

Police ask Faisol if he knows that Shamzaini gave his testimony on May 16, to which Faisol says he knows.

Police ask him about a WhatsApp message he had sent to Shamzaini.

Faisol says the message was a reminder that Shamzaini must tell the truth, and that the message was not a threat.

He says he told Norhayati that she, too, must tell the truth.

Faisol says his message was not to threaten anyone, and only asked that they tell the truth.

10.35am: The panel asks Norhashimah if she often contacted her and do they speak frequently on the phone. 

She said that they don’t talk often. 

The panel asks her if they don’t talk often why did he call her and talk for 40 minutes. 

Norhashimah said it normal for family members to have long conversations. 

The panel asks if they talked about Amri to which she replied no. 

10.20am: Suhakam officers ask Norhashimah when Shamzaini opened the workshop.

She says he opened it early this year.

The officers tell her that Shamzaini testified in the inquiry that he had opened a workshop 2014.

She says she heard about him opening the workshop, but does not know the exact date.

Norhashimah says she does not know much about his business.

The officers ask her why she told them about the workshop if she was not interested in it.

She says it was the first time Shamzaini had called to talk about the workshop.

10.15am: The inquiry then calls Norhashimah Mohd Daud, the sister of Sgt Shamzaini, the SB informer.

The panel asks her to state her profession, and where she lives.

Norhashimah said she lives in Alor Star, Kedah, and works as a teacher.

Amri family lawyer Larissa Anne Louis asks Norhashimah about a 40-minute conversation the latter had with Shamzaini on May 12.

Louis asks what the conversation was about, and if Amri was discussed.

Norhashimah says they talked about Shamzaini wanting to open a workshop in Perlis.

She says she does not know anything about Amri.

Louis asks if Norhashimah had given advice to Shamzaini regarding Amri.

Norhashimah says she does not know anything about the Amri case.

9.55am: Suhakam officers ask Azizie if Saiful explained why he took leave. 

Azizie said Saiful told him that he was spending time with family. 

The panel then asks if he can confirm that Saiful was working on November 24, 2016. 

Azizie replied in the affirmative.

The panel then asks if Saiful does fieldwork to which he replied no. 

Amri family lawyer then asks Azizie in his record if he marked Saiful as off on April 31 but April only had 30 days. 

Azizie said it was not an official document but for his record and marking April 31 was a mistake.

The panel then concurs that it was an honest mistake.  

9.40am: Suhakam officers ask Azizie to explain the documents. 

Azizie said areas marked in documents with an “X” are the days Saiful had applied for leave. 

He also said that Saiful gets 24 days’ annual leave.

The panel then asks Azizie why in the books 54 days are marked as leave.

Azizie said this also includes Saturday and Sunday leave.

9.30am: The Suhakam inquiry into Amri Che Mat resumes with Inspector Mohd Azizie, a Special Branch officer from Pulapol, who was also was the supervisor for Saiful Bahari, owner of Toyota Vios PFC1623 taking the stand. 

Suhakam officers ask Azizie to disclose Saiful’s work record that he was in Pulapol during the time of Amri’s disappearance.

Azizie then tenders several documents to the Suhakam panel. – August 27, 2018.