KUALA LUMPUR – Hassan Abdul Karim (Pasir Gudang-PH) has questioned the government’s decision to oppose the application by Amri Che Mat’s wife for access to classified documents pertaining to the latter’s disappearance.
Addressing Parliament while debating the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) Annual Report 2020, Hassan also urged the Home Ministry to explain the alleged forced disappearances of Amri, Joshua Hilmy, and Ruth Sitepu.
He said he is not blaming the current federal administration as this has been an ongoing issue since the Barisan Nasional government pre-2018.
“I was saddened to hear reports that Amri’s wife applied to court to access classified documents that would reveal details of her husband’s case, but the government opposed this.
“This should not happen. What is wrong here? Just give those documents to the wife, she wants to know what happened,” Hassan added.
Amri went missing on November 24, 2016.
The father of four was last seen leaving his home in Kangar, Perlis.
Meanwhile, Joshua and his wife, Ruth, vanished under mysterious circumstances and were last seen at their home in Petaling Jaya on November 30, 2016.
Despite the passage of several years since their disappearances, the fate and whereabouts of Amri, Joshua, and Ruth remain unknown.
On May 9, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that a special task force report on the disappearance of activist Amri be released to his wife Norhayati Mohd Ariffin.
It was reported that judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh only ruled for a limited release of the document, which was classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972.
Wan Ahmad ordered the limited release to Norhayati within 30 days, with conditions that she is prohibited from sharing the report with anyone, other than her lawyers. – The Vibes, June 13, 2023