LAWYERS representing the family of missing pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu criticised Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd for not sending a more experienced officer to answer their questions at the Suhakam inquiry into the couple’s disappearance, today.

The legal team was upset with the telco’s security department officer Azhar Baba, who could not provide adequate answers to the questions it said it had sent to Maxis a long time ago.

Lawyer Philip Koh said they were very disappointed with the telco provider for failing to provide a capable witness.

“Whoever in (Maxis) senior management should know that the witness should come prepared for the inquiry.

“This is unacceptable as it is a waste of time of panel members and observers. It is showing disrespect to the legislative body,” Koh said during the online public hearing on the disappearance of the couple.

Suhakam had sent a list of questions to Maxis. Among them were details of their mobile phone accounts and data on their call transactions.

Suhakam officer Simon Karunagaram asked Azhar, who was the 23rd witness, how long Maxis kept user information.

Azhar replied he would not know as it was out of his scope of investigation.

Commissioner Jerald Joseph questioned Azhar how he could not know such information after working in Maxis for 25 years.

The witness replied he only processed requests on phone bills and details of users when requested from relevant enforcement agencies.

“If an agency asks, I will give them those details. I can only provide whatever information I have in the system.”

Commissioner Hishamudin Yunus then asked Azhar if he was aware that they had sent a letter to Maxis with a list of questions.

“Did you see the letter and questions?”

Azhar said the letter was sent to his superior but he did see the questions.

Hishamuddin asked if he had seen all the questions then why didn’t he check with another (Maxis) officer who has the information.

Azhar replied he was only recently told to attend the inquiry and did not have time to check.

Hishamuddin said the inquiry was getting nowhere and instructed Suhakam officers to get another witness (from Maxis).

The disappearance of the couple came to light in 2018 after Ruth’s siblings lodged a missing person’s report.

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

The Suhakam panel is chaired by Hishamuddin and assisted by commissioners Jerald Joseph and Madeline Berma.

Previously, another Suhakam panel, held similar inquiries into the disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat.

After exhaustive investigations, the Suhakam panel concluded that the Special Branch from the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman was responsible for the disappearance of Koh, a Christian pastor, and Amri, a Muslim social activist.

The panel said the two activists were victims of enforced disappearance.

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

No one has been charged with the abduction of the two. – July 28, 2021.