THE civil suits filed by the wives of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat, as well as M. Indira Gandhi, against the inspector-general of police and the government are to keep the issues alive, said former Court of Appeal judge Mah Weng Kwai.

Mah, who is also a Suhakam commissioner, said the suits filed by Susanna Liew, Nor Haryati Ariffin and Indira will prompt further action by police.

“It is difficult for them as there is no closure. The suit will definitely prompt further action by the cops and it will keep the issue alive,” he said after speaking at the civil law conference in Shah Alam this morning.

On January 12, Liew named former inspector-generals of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun and Khalid Abu Bakar and current IGP Abdul Hamid Bador as defendants in a civil suit filed ahead of the third anniversary of Koh’s abduction on February 13, 2017. 

Liew said they are filing the civil suit for “special and general damages” as a last resort after failing to receive any resolution from the investigations into her husband’s disappearance. 

The suit comes four months after Norhayati’s suit, whose husband Amri has been missing since December 2016. 

Others named in the writ of summons are Awaludin Jadid, Huzir Mohamed, Fadzil Ahmat, Supari Muhammad, Khor Yi Shuen, Hazril Kamis, Mohamad Shamzaini Mohd Daud, Saiful Bahari Abdul Aziz, the police force and the federal government. 

Indira whose daughter, Prasana Diksa, was taken away by her former husband Mohammad Riduan Abdullah 10 years ago is also suing the IGP and the government.

Indira is suing Hamid for RM100 million for failure to locate and return her daughter, kidnapped in 2009.

Indira also wants to compel Hamid to act on the 2014 Ipoh High Court order to enforce the arrest warrant for Riduan and recovery order to retrieve Prasana.

According to Indira’s lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, despite a Federal Court order compelling the IGP and police to arrest his client’s former husband and return her daughter, the police have neglected to do both.

On the other hand, Mah hoped that the report on the disappearance of Koh and Amri will be made public.

Mah said it would not mean anything if the report that was supposed to be submitted to the Home Ministry last December be kept hidden from public knowledge.

“I am for the report to be made public. It should be public knowledge. There is no point to keep the report or any other report away from the public. We can learn from public opinion,” he said.

It was reported last month that the Home Ministry has yet to receive the report from the special task force investigating the enforced disappearance of both men.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the task force, headed by former high court judge Abd Rahim Uda, has requested more time to complete its report. – February 14, 2020.