PUTRAJAYA must acknowledge that enforced disappearances have taken place in the country in order to address the human rights violation, said the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

It urged the government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance as the first step to put in place legal recognition and remedies for victims.

Ratification will also signal that Malaysia deems enforced disappearances unacceptable, said Suhakam in a statement, issued in conjunction with the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, today.

Currently, Malaysia has no laws or regulations for such cases, and there are no remedial provisions should a disappearance involve state actors.

“Alleged enforced disappearances are often classified as cases of missing persons, abduction or kidnapping. Thus, there is no official data on the number of such cases in Malaysia.”

It has been more than four months since the release of Suhakam’s report that pointed to Special Branch’s involvement in the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat, and concluded that the duo were victims of enforced disappearance.

Koh went missing in February 2017, and Amri in November 2016.

The government has set up a special task force to probe into the cases, following the Suhakam inquiry’s findings. However, the commission said the task force’s terms of reference are still unknown.

“Suhakam is observing the progress of this investigation closely, and believes that to effectively address an issue, it is important to first acknowledge that it exists.”

Activist group Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances, too, has called on Putrajaya to expedite the “proper constitution” of the task force.

Spokesman Rama Ramanathan previously told The Malaysian Insight that the Home Ministry must explain the task force’s role.

“Are they going to investigate the validity of the Suhakam report, or investigate Special Branch, which the report said was involved in the abductions?

“We are dismayed by the secrecy surrounding the terms of reference of the task force formed by the ministry to investigate Special Branch (officers) who abducted the men.”

Koh, 62, was abducted by masked men in Jalan SS4B/10, Petaling Jaya, on February 13, 2017. Amri disappeared on November 24, 2016 after leaving his home in Kangar.

The Suhakam inquiry found that the abductions were carried out by state agents, namely Special Branch based at the federal police headquarters. – August 30, 2019.