FMT
Pastor Koh’s wife wants
govt to produce classified
task force report
Susanna Liew contends that the findings are relevant to her lawsuit against the police, the IGP and several former high-ranking cops.
KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of Pastor Raymond Koh has filed an application in the High Court here seeking an order for the government to produce a classified report on her missing husband for her ongoing civil lawsuit.
In her discovery application, Susanna Liew contended that the special force report was relevant to her lawsuit as Koh’s family had a right to know the special task force’s findings on his disappearance.
She pointed out that her lawyers had written to the government previously asking for a copy of the report, but was told that it was classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
“I believe that there is no threat to national security if it is released to me and to the court in order to arrive at a fair decision.
“At most, the report will reveal whether the defendants were involved in the abduction or were negligent in their investigation,” Liew said, adding that part of the report had already been disclosed to activist Amri Che Mat’s wife, Norhayati Ariffin, in her own lawsuit.
Lawyer Jerald Gomez informed trial judge Justice Su Tiang Joo that they filed the discovery bid today and have served it on the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Senior federal counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid confirmed receiving it and said they wanted to respond accordingly.
Su said he will allow Farhana to look into the court papers before making further directions on filing of documents on June 4.
In 2020, Liew filed a lawsuit against the police, the inspector-general of police and a number of former high-ranking police officers over Koh’s disappearance.
The defendants include former IGPs Khalid Abu Bakar and Fuzi Harun, as well as the former principal assistant director of the Special Branch’s social extremism division, Awaludin Jadid.
The others named in the lawsuit are former Bukit Aman criminal investigation department chief Huzir Mohamed, former Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat, and police officers Supari Muhammad, Khor Yi Shuen, Hazril Kamis, Shamzaini Daud and Saiful Bahari Abdul Aziz.
Liew is seeking damages over Koh’s disappearance, as well as for the authorities to be held liable for his unlawful abduction, and for misfeasance in public office.
Farhana told the court today the defendant intends to call seven witnesses to testify after the plaintiff closes their case.
“The first (person on the list) will be Awaludin, followed by (police officer) Ali (Asra Abu Bakar), Hazril, Supari, Khor, Shamzaini and another investigating officer,” she said, adding that their witness statements have been filed.
Gomez told the court that the plaintiff will call four more witnesses next week.
Suhakam held a public inquiry into the disappearance of Koh and Amri between 2017 and 2019.
It concluded that Koh and Amri were victims of enforced disappearance carried out by the state, specifically by the Special Branch.
The home ministry then established a special task force to investigate Suhakam’s conclusion.
Neither the ministry nor the task force have publicly released the report despite repeated calls to do so by various parties, including Suhakam and several other NGOs. The report has been classified as a government secret.
It is Very likely people in the pay of Malaysian Government agencies were involved in Pastor Koh"s disappearance.
ReplyDeleteThat is also why there is no interest in Malaysian officialdom to get to the truth.