THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered the release of a classified special task force report on the disappearance of Amri Che Mat that will help his family proceed with the civil trial next month, Norhayati Ariffin said.

In a statement, the activist’s wife said with this crucial evidence she hoped there will be some closure in the missing activist’s case.

“I am gratified by today’s decision to allow me and my legal team access to this report. While I have not seen the written decision of the court yet, I have been advised by my legal team that the government has been instructed to hand over the report to me and my legal team within 30 days.”

“This Report has not been disclosed to me yet nor has the government informed me when I can expect to receive the report from them.

“As such, I will not be making any further public statements about the report, except as a witness in the civil case, where relevant. I request that all media enquiries about this matter be addressed to my legal team, specifically Mr Surendra Ananth,” she said in a statement this afteroon.

Earlier today Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said Norhayati will be allowed to share the report only with her lawyers.

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 near 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 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.

Apart from Norhayati, Susanne Liew the wife of missing Pastor Raymond Koh are also attempting to resolve a lawsuit filed over his enforced disappearance.

In December last year, Koh’s family’s lawyer, Gurdial Singh Nijar, told judge Ahmad Bache that both parties wanted to resolve the matter, which would involve making a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

The hearing of the case was to have started today and Gurdial, with the agreement of senior federal counsel Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, sought to postpone hearing to June 6 next year, citing the attempt by the parties to resolve the matter.

Koh’s wife Susanna Liew filed the suit in February 2020, seeking damages over his disappearance.

Those named in the lawsuit include former principal assistant director of Special Branch’s Social Extremism Division Awaludin Jadid, and senior officers including current Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Huzir Mohamed and Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat.

Koh was abducted by masked men in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, on February 13, 2017. – May 9, 2023.