PUTRAJAYA has been ordered by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to release a classified special task force report on the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat within 30 days.

Limiting the release of the report to only the wife of the missing activist, Norhayati Ariffin, justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said she will be allowed to share the report with only her lawyers, The Malay Mail reported.

Norhayati filed a civil suit against 21 parties, including the government and police, in 2019.

Amri, who founded civil society group Perlis Hope went missing on November 24, 2016.

He was abducted 550m from his home at Padang Behor in Kangar. The police later found his car at Bukit Chabang.

The 43-year-old who was part of the 1997 Malaysian Mount Everest expedition team, had reportedly told his eldest daughter he was going out that night. He has four daughters aged 19, 17, 15 and 10.

In her police report, Norhayati said there were unknown cars and motorcycles parked near their home the day Amri went missing.

Between 2017 and 2019, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) held a public inquiry into Amri’s disappearance.

In 2021, Suhakam concluded Amri was a victim of an enforced disappearance carried out by the state, specifically by the police’s Special Branch.

In response, the Home Ministry established a task force to look into Suhakam’s conclusions. It was given six months to complete its report.

Since then, neither the ministry nor the task force have released a report, despite repeated calls to do so by various parties, including Suhakam and civil society groups. – May 9, 2023.