ASP tells Pastor Koh inquiry he did not order questions on proselytisation

3rd Nov 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: The inquiry into missing persons was today told that a police inspector had acted on his own when questioning witnesses about allegations of prosetylising.

ASP Supari Muhammad said he did not specifically direct Inspector Ali Asra Abu Bakar, the first investigation officer of the Pastor Raymond Koh abduction, to do so.

Supari who resumed his testimony on day five of the Pastor Raymond Koh public inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) was asked if he had directed Inspector Ali to ask questions on prosetylising.

“No, he acted on his own. He was asked to question witnesses on all aspects and that was one of it.”

Supari was then asked if he had looked at Koh’s background and the police reports that Koh had made about threats he had received.

Supari said he did see the reports prior to questioning the family.

“I spoke to Inspector Hasbullah who was the investigating officer of the report Koh had made about his life being threatened.

“That case is still under investigation as there are no leads or suspects,” he said.

The public inquiry is chaired by Suhakam commissioner and former Court of Appeal judge Mah Weng Kwai, and includes Suhakam commissioners Prof Dr Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida.

The inquiry will consider, among other things, whether the cases of Koh, activist Amri Che Mat, and Pastor Joshua Hilmy and wife Ruth, were cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance as defined under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Amri, 44, who co-founded charity organisation Perlis Hope, has been missing since Nov 24 last year.

His wife, Norhayati Ariffin, said witnesses saw five vehicles blocking the path of Amri’s car before he was whisked away, just 550 metres from their home in Bukit Chabang, Perlis.

Joshua and his wife, Ruth, meanwhile, were last seen on Nov 30 last year. A police report was lodged in Klang but the case was referred to Petaling Jaya police as the complainant said the missing persons lived in Kampung Tunku.