Activist’s wife wants home ministry to protect police informer
30th May 2018
KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of missing activist Amri Che Mat today asked the home ministry to ensure the protection of the Special Branch officer whom she said had come forward with crucial information on her husband’s disappearance.
Speaking to reporters after Day 10 of the public inquiry into Amri’s disappearance, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin said she feared for the safety of the informer who had linked her husband’s case with that of Pastor Raymond Koh.
“I really hope that the home ministry can give him protection. He dared to leak sensitive information, and I’m sure he now feels pressured.
“I’m afraid that if he feels pressured, he won’t tell the truth when he appears in the inquiry as a witness,” she said.
Nurhayati, who had earlier named the officer as Sarjan Shamzaini, said she had not been in contact with him since he came to see her on the night of May 12.
“We only talked about Amri, and even then, he was worried about his surroundings and told me not to record the conversation, out of fear,” she added.
She said Shamzaini had also revealed important names and details to her during their meeting.
“He mentioned important names of the top brass in the police force whom he said were involved in the abductions of Amri and Koh.
“I believe Amri was taken by them, and I ask the police to release Amri and Koh immediately. If they committed any crime, bring them to justice.”
Amri has not been seen since Nov 24, 2016. Witnesses in the inquiry had spoken of suspicious-looking men surrounding Amri’s vehicle on the night of his disappearance. His car was found some 20km from his house in Bukit Chabang, Perlis.
About 12 weeks later, on Feb 13, Koh was abducted by several men in balaclavas who used black SUVs to block his car in broad daylight on a busy road in Petaling Jaya. The incident was caught on CCTV from the security camera at a nearby house.
Apart from Amri and Koh, the inquiry is also investigating the disappearance of Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth, both last seen just a week after Amri vanished.
It was speculated that Koh, Joshua and Ruth were abducted over their alleged proselytisation of Muslims, a charge rejected by Koh’s family.
Former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar had dismissed any suggestion that police were involved in the abductions.
Amri, meanwhile, was accused of practising Shia Islam, which Islamic authorities in Malaysia label as deviant. His wife had spoken of harassment from Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who was also summoned by Suhakam.
Asri denied the claim, but admitted that he had visited Amri’s house to enquire about his religious leanings, accompanied by police and Perlis religious officers.
Link to article found here:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/05/30/activists-wife-wants-home-ministry-to-protect-police-informer/