What a farce, says civil society group

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 26 Jun 2019 9:10PM · 5 Comments

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (left) faces a barrage of criticism from activists after announcing the team that would investigate the forced disappearances of Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, June 26, 2019.

THE composition of the task force to investigate the disappearance of two missing activists is a blatant attempt to undermine and subvert the findings of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), a civil society group has said today.

Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (Caged) said the results of the initial public inquiry were the findings of three “distinguished, legally-trained, Agong-appointed Human Rights commissioners, and the home minister claims the Cabinet is behind this”.

The Suhakam inquiry panel comprised Mah Weng Kwai, who is also a retired Court of Appeal judge, Prof Dr Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.

Caged, along with Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), were instrumental in the initiation of the public inquiry into the disappearance of the two activists, pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced earlier today that the task force will be led by former High Court judge Abdul Rahim Uda.

Rahim will be assisted by former police legal affairs chief Mokhtar Mohd Noor, police integrity unit director Zamri Yahya, Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission operations director Muhammad Bukhari Ab Hamid, Attorney-General’s Chambers officer Mohd Sophia Zakaria and police commission secretary Mohd Russaini Idrus.

“Rahim is the judge who, in December 2011, upheld the coroner’s ‘open verdict’ in the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

“That is relevant because Rahim’s decision was unanimously overturned by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal (CoA) in September 2014.

“It is also relevant because the Suhakam inquiry panel depended on that CoA decision when setting the bar for evidence that led to the conclusion that “Special Branch, Bukit Aman, did it (abducted Kok and Amri).”

Caged then questioned the rationale behind the appointment of Zamri, who is a serving member in the police force and whose department is likely to be within the scope of the probe.

It also flagged the inclusion of Mokhtar, because he had attended the Suhakam inquiry and made the closing argument for the police.

“All right-thinking Malaysians must reject this supposed ‘special task force’.

“Muhyiddin must seriously question those who advised him because they clearly want to hide the truth, not reveal it.

“The composition of the task force makes it abundantly clear that their remit is to undermine and subvert Suhakam’s findings, not investigate.

“It is clear that they have no interest in holding complicit police personnel, and their defenders such as Mokhtar, accountable. If Muhyiddin does not disband this task force, he can expect calls, even from retired and serving police personnel, for his resignation.”

Caged added that forming a credible task force would be effective in unearthing the truth and punishing rogue cops, while reforming and restoring the honour of the police force.

Muhyiddin said that the task force would first look into the Amri disappearance because there was still a case pending in the courts regarding that of Koh.

Part-time driver Lam Chang Nam, 31, was charged with kidnapping Koh on January 16, last year. – June 26, 2019.

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Comments

  • Looks like this task force is set up to counter all the earlier findings from Suhakam. A task force to look into the earlier findings is just redundant and no conviction at all to right the wrongs by the Home Minister Muhyiddin . He should resign and disappear from the politics. Right now there should have been an investigation into the PDRM Special Branch involvement in this enforced kidnaping disappearence and not white washing the conclusions. It has been more than two years after their abductions and charging a driver on kidnapping of Koh and the court case still pending just shows it is only a wayang and dlily dallying to pursue any further. It is a wonder if the abductees are still alive and if their bodies are found after severe decomposition even a good forensic experts will not dare to make a decision which will resulted in case closed

    Posted 4 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Muhyiddin please resign so that new malaysia may live.

    Posted 4 years ago by LJ WONG · Reply

  • GET LOST MUHYIDDIN YASSIN FOR GOD SAKE PLS GO . Hope the hospital bed call u again then only JUSTICE CAN BE SERVED.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • This is a shameless and I'll conceived plan to cover up the sins of the PDRM perpetrated during the BN era and should be rejected by the public and revisited by the PH government which has been disappointing in righting the wrongs of the past. If PH can't do better than this, be prepared for a punishing pushback at the next GE.

    Posted 4 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • Same style BN now PH

    Posted 4 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply