No concrete evidence Amri was abducted, court hears

No concrete evidence Amri was abducted, court hears

Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid
Published: Oct 7, 2024 7:47 PM


An investigating officer testified in the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that there was no concrete evidence that Amri Che Mat was a victim of abduction eight years ago.

Khor Yi Suen was testifying in the full hearing of a lawsuit over the social activist's enforced disappearance in Kangar, Perlis, on Nov 24, 2016.

He testified that the investigation was labelled as a missing person's case because there was no positive identification by two alleged witnesses to the abduction.

Khor said the duo - Syed Amri Syed Abd Jalil and Saiful Afdzan Seinei - were too far from the alleged incident, and the location was dark at the time.

The police officer also noted that the duo - who alongside Amri (above, right) were members of NGO Perlis Hope - did not immediately lodge a police report after the alleged abduction.

"There was no testimony or concrete evidence that can be used to support the plaintiff's (Amri's wife Norhayati Mohd Ariffin [above, left]) statement that Amri was abducted sometime just before midnight on Nov 24, 2016, at C33, Kg Padang Behor, 01000 Kangar, Perlis," Khor said in his affidavit tendered in the civil court.

In 2019, Suhakam concluded that Amri's abduction were enforced disappearances perpetrated by Bukit Aman’s Special Branch.

Enforced disappearance is the secret abduction or imprisonment with the backing of the state, followed by refusal to acknowledge the victim's fate or whereabouts, to place the abductee or detainee outside the protection of the law.

Via the court action filed after the Suhakam ruling, Amri's family sought to compel the authorities to disclose the victim's whereabouts.


‘Investigation covered every aspect’

During proceedings before judge Su Tiang Joo, Khor denied the police investigation against Amri focused only on the victim's alleged involvement in syiah propagation activities in the state.

During examination-in-chief by senior federal counsel Zetty Zurina Kamaruddin, Khor explained that the police investigation covered every aspect, such as Amri's involvement in Perlis Hope and foreign exchange currency trading.

While being questioned by the government's legal representative, Khor testified that no roadblock was set up between Malaysia and Thailand's border immediately after Amri's disappearance.

The police officer said it was because Amri's case was only classified as a missing person's case.

Khor also explained that police checks with telco companies over Amri's handphone revealed that the victim's last known location was Kangar.

The civil court hearing will resume on Oct 21.

Lawyers Surendra Ananth and Larissa Ann Louis appeared for Amri's family.