PERLIS Special Branch officer Shamzaini Mohd Daud takes the stand for the third time today at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry into the case of missing activist Amri Che Mat.

Shamzaini was the officer who claimed that a police team had abducted Amri.

According to Amri’s wife, Norhayati Ariffin, Shamzaini disclosed that a special team from the federal police headquarters was responsible for the disappearance of her husband and pastor Raymond Koh.

However, Sahmzaini told the inquiry last month that Norhayati’s allegations were all lies.

He said that his meeting with Norhayati on May 12 at her home was to enquire about renting a shop lot, adding that she was adamant about finding evidence for her husband’s case and that he was not cooperative.

Shamzaini said she sought to connect Amri’s case to the police, especially the Special Branch.

He said because he refused to cooperate, there was an argument and she got emotional and kept pressuring him to tell her who was involved.

Norhayati subsequently lodged a police report based on this revelation, which led the Suhakam inquiry panel calling her back to the stand.

But the allegation was later nullified when Sentul police chief R. Munusamy informed the panel of a police report lodged by Shamzaini, denying Norhayati’s testimony.

Amri was allegedly being investigated for forex trading and spreading Shia teaching.

He went missing on November 24, 2016. He was believed to have been abducted by a group of people in four-wheel-drive vehicles which surrounded his car in Kg Padang Behor.

Koh was abducted on February 13 last year by several men in balaclavas who used black SUVs to block his car on a road in Petaling Jaya.

Suhakam is conducting a public inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Koh, pastor Joshua Hilmy and Joshua’s wife, Ruth, to ascertain if they are cases of enforced disappearance.

The Malaysian Insight brings you live updates from today’s proceedings.

1.15pm: Amri family lawyer Larissa Anne Louis asks Azizi if Saiful’s car was in Pulapol from November 21 to 24, 2016.

Azizi said that he can confirm the car was there.

Louis asks Azizi if can he confirm that the car was not used by anyone other than Saiful, to which he said yes.

Police observers ask who usually keeps the keys to Saiful’s car.

Azizi said the keys were always with him.

Police observers again ask him to confirm if the car was at Pulapol (when Amri went missing).

Aziz said both Saiful and the car were at Pulapol.

The Suhakam inquiry ends for today and will resume on August 24.

1pm: Suhakam officers ask what Saiful’s role at Pulapol was.

Azizi says he was an administrative assistant. 

Suhakam officers ask Azizi if he can remember the number and colour of Saiful’s car. 

Azizi said that the number was PFC1623 and it was a gold car.

Suhakam officers then say that Saiful is an important witness and they can’t locate him. 

The officers then ask Azizi if he has any information on Saiful.

Azizi says he doesn’t know Saiful’s whereabouts.

12.45pm: The panel releases Shamzaini and calls Special Branch ASP Mohd Azizi Abdul Hamid to the stand.

Suhakam officers ask Azizi what is his role in the Special Branch.

The policeman says he manages logistics and housing in the police training academy (Pulapol).

Suhakam officers ask him if he knows Saiful Bahari (owner of Gold Vios).

Azizi says he knows Saiful as he is working for him under a police contract.

Suhakam officers ask when was the last he saw Saiful, to which Azizi says that it was in November last year.

12.15pm: Suhakam officers ask Shamzaini about the two phone calls he made on May 12.

The officer says he made a WhatsApp call at 8.43am to Aizat (Perlis Hope) and a normal call at 8.57am to Parid. 

The officer then suggests that Shamzaini had planned to make the call using two different systems.

Shamzaini disagrees.

11.45am: Police observers ask if he was pressured by any party to lodge the police report. 

Shamzaini says no. 

Suhakam comissioner Mah Weng Kwai asks Shamzaini if he was pressured by his superiors to lodge a report to, which he replies no. 

Police observers ask Shamzaini if he would have been reprimanded if he didn’t make a report.

Shamzaini said no.

Police ask if he made the report on a voluntarily basis, to which he says yes.

11.20am: Police observers ask Shamzaini if he agrees with the police report lodged by Norhayati against him.

Shamzaini denies her report and says that all her claims are lies.

Police ask Shamzaini why he lodged a police report two days after Norhayati’s report and not earlier.

The officer says that he didn’t lodge earlier because Norhayati was mentally unstable and he thought it was a waste of his time.

He also says that she was talking nonsense and had accused him of approaching her to obtain information (on Amri).

11am: Police ask Shamzaini about his visit to Norhayati’s house on May 12 at 10.30pm and their discussion.

Shamzaini says they talked briefly about renting the shop, after which the topic then changed to Amri.

Police ask again if Norhayati told him that the shop was leased to Parid. 

Shamzaini said “no”.

He said she got emotional and wanted to file criminal intimidation charges against him. 

Shamzaini says he tried to calm her down as he didn’t want her to lodge a police report and face disciplinary action.

He also says he wanted to protect his image and that was why he was with her for two hours, trying to convince her not to lodge a police report. 

10.30am: Police observers ask Shamzaini how he obtained the contact of Parid Audio, who was renting a shoplot at Perlis Hope, next to Norhayati’s home. 

Shamzaini says he got the number from a banner at Parid Audio.

He then tells the panel that he had a brief conversation with Parid about tinting his car. 

Shamzaini says he then asked for the contact number of the owner of the shop lot from Parid, who said he did not have it.

Parid told him to go to Norhayati’s house and said that if a car was there, then the owner was in.

10.45am: Police observers ask Shamzaini if he met Norhayati before.

Shamzaini said he met her in the morning and when she asked who he was, he introduced himself as SB for IPD Perlis. 

She then asked him to come back in the night to discuss renting the shop.

Police ask Shamzaini did Norhayati tell him that she had already leased the shop for 20 years to Parid. 

Shamzaimi said “no”.

10.15am: Police observers ask Shamzaini why did he go to Parid Audio on May 12.

Shamzaini said he was looking for a shop to rent and Googled “Perlis Hope” and called the number listed.

Shamzaimi said there was no answer.

Police observers ask Shamzaini if he knows to whom the number belongs.

Shamzaini said he didn’t know.

Police ask Shamzaini if he knows Aizat (owner of the number)

He said “no”. 

10am: Police observers ask Shamzaini does he know former SB chief Awaluddin Jadid.

Shamzaini said he has never met him and didn’t even know if he came to Perlis. 

Police ask Shamzaini if the public call IPD, can they get information on who is working in SB.

Shamzaini said “yes”, as they can ask the operator to connect the person they are looking for. 

They then ask if the identities of the SB officers are not a secret. 

Shamzaini said “yes”. 

9.45am: Perlis Special Branch Sgt Shamzaini Mohd Daud takes the stand.

Police observers ask Shamzaini what would he do if he had gotten information related to public issues.

The Special Branch officer said he will pass it on to his superiors.

The police observers then ask if he knew DSP Azam Azahari and ASP Razman.

Shamzaini said he knows Azam and Razaman but they are not close.  – August 6, 2018.