HomeNewsBeritaBusinessLifestyleOpinionWorldSportsPropertyEducationCarzillaGalleryVideosAccelerator

Why try to block release of Amri’s report, MP asks govt

-

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok says Amri Che Mat’s wife deserves to know what happened to her husband who disappeared seven years ago.

0
Shares
Total Views: 1
Free Malaysia Today
Amri Che Mat, the founder of Perlis Hope, went missing in 2016 and this led to a Suhakam public inquiry into the incident.

KUALA LUMPUR:
A government MP has questioned Putrajaya’s application to set aside a court order last month which compelled it to release a classified report on the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat to his wife.

Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) said Amri’s wife Norhayati Ariffin, has the right to know what happened to her husband who went missing seven years ago.

“This (move by the government) is against human rights and Suhakam should state its stance on this issue,” she said while debating the human rights commission’s 2020 annual report in the Dewan Rakyat.

Last week, Norhayati’s lawyer, Larissa Ann Louis, told FMT that the government filed an appeal against the order to release the report and had obtained a stay on the release pending the outcome of the appeal.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court had ordered the government on May 9 to disclose the report to Norhayati within one month.

Amri, the founder of Perlis Hope, went missing in 2016, which led to a Suhakam public inquiry into the incident.

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

A home ministry task force was formed to investigate Suhakam’s findings but neither the ministry nor the task force has released its report despite repeated calls to do so by various parties, including the commission and other NGOs.

Three days ago, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Putrajaya will look into the report to see what steps can be taken regarding its limited release.

Meanwhile, Kok urged the government to consult civil society groups on the appointment of Suhakam commissioners as they played a crucial role in determining the commission’s effectiveness.

She said Suhakam seemed to be much “quieter” and releases fewer statements nowadays compared to the past.

The DAP MP also said Suhakam used to frequently act as an observer in rallies and conduct public inquiries.

“I hope those with a background in human rights advocacy will be appointed as commissioners. I would like to call for Suhakam to be given more allocations to conduct human rights (advocacy) activities.”

Human rights groups had slammed the current batch of Suhakam commissioners after they were appointed by then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob last year.

Rights group Suaram said the appointment of Selayang Umno chief Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican and Kulim Umno women’s division chief Nazira Abdul Rahim to Suhakam had severely compromised its neutrality.

Meanwhile, Hassan Abdul Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) urged the home ministry and police to prioritise cases involving the disappearance of citizens.

Citing the disappearances of Amri, Joshua Hilmy and Ruth Sitepu, Hassan said Malaysia was not a “mafia state” and called on the authorities to provide updates on the cases.

Joshua, a Malay who had converted to Christianity, and his wife Ruth have been missing since November 2016.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.