A RETIRED senior police officer threatened to walk out of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission inquiry into missing Pastor Joshua Hilmy and Ruth Sitepu today after he was asked a question he had answered earlier.  

Awaluddin Jadid, who is former Special Branch extremism division chief, did this when questioned about a speech he had given in 2016 on Shia extremism. 

“Why is the talk (on Shia) being raised? I already gave the same answer during the previous inquiry (on missing Amri Che Mat).  

“You call me out of retirement (to attend an inquiry). I feel like walking out. You can refer to the previous transcripts,” he told the Suhakam inquiry today angrily. 

Awaluddin was responding to a question on the talk at the Youth Seminar Against Terrorism he had given, where he warned against the Shia movement in the country 

Suhakam commissioner Hishamudin Yunus then told Awaluddin he needs to be calm and composed.  

“You still represent the image of the police. Whatever answers you give, we will include it in our conclusion later on.”

Awaluddin said his 2016 speech was to remind Muslims to strengthen their faith.  

He also said Joshua, a Malay who had converted to Christianity and his wife Ruth were not being monitored by his department.

“They were not considered extremists,” he said, adding that he had no issues with those converting.  

Hishamudin then asked if he had any data on Muslim converts to other religions.  

Awaluddin said if there is any issue of apostasy, police will pass the information to the religious department.  

“We pass it to them (religious authorities). Then they will take action.” 

Lawyer Philip Koh, who is representing Ruth’s family, asked Awaluddin about his statement police are neutral.  

“In your statement you said police must follow the law. They don’t conduct any other activities and police are neutral in terms of religion, politics and other issues.”

Awaluddin said their duty is not to allow the apostasy issue to grow. 

Hishamudin then asked if conversion to other religions was wrong.

“It is the right of individuals to convert. We are more concerned about the reaction (on conversion),” Awaluddin said.

Little else is known about Joshua and Ruth, who are suspected to be victims of an enforced disappearance. In 2018, two years after their disappearance, Ruth’s siblings lodged a missing persons report. 

Ruth’s family hails from the fishing village of Nambiki in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. 

International human rights laws define 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. 

The Suhakam panel is chaired by commissioner Hishamudin, and assisted by commissioners Joseph and Madeline Berma. – January 6, 2021.