FORMER home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he had never ordered police to act against two activists who went missing more than three year ago.

Zahid, who was in office when Amri Che Mat and pastor Raymond Koh went missing almost three years ago, said this after a Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry concluded that police are responsible for the disappearance of the two men.

Zahid said he had yet to read Suhakam’s findings, which were made public this morning.

“There was no such directive given by me or the Home Ministry secretary-general. 

“I hope the investigations will be carried out professionally,” he said at Parliament lobby.

Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai said Koh and Amri were snatched by Special Branch teams from federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, and were never to be found again.

Zahid said everyone should respect the Suhakam findings.

“But let’s also show some respect to the police in the matter. Any investigation which has to be done must be done professionally,” he said.

Suhakam set up the inquiry last year to ascertain if Koh, Amri and two others – Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth – were victims of enforced disappearance.

International human rights law defines forced disappearance or enforced disappearance as when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organisation, or by a third party with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of a state or political organisation. – April 3, 2019.