PUTRAJAYA, Nov 7 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will meet officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) today to receive a full briefing before deciding on the next course of action regarding the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat and pastor Raymond Koh.
He said the meeting is important to fully understand the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on Wednesday, which ordered the government to pay compensation and reopen investigation papers on the two cases.
“Tomorrow morning, I will meet with the AGC officers who have handled this case from the beginning. The aim is to get a complete and clear briefing,” he told reporters after attending the Jelajah Wira Madani programme at the Putrajaya District Police Headquarters yesterday.
“I should not make any statements hastily. It is better that I first receive the full briefing,” he added.
Saifuddin said the case has been ongoing since 2016 and 2017 and is considered a long-standing issue for his ministry. He added that it has gone through several stages of investigation, including court reviews filed by the families of both missing individuals seeking access to investigation reports.
He said the court’s ruling also involves reopening the investigation papers, classifying the case, and determining the next steps for the police.
Amri was reported missing on November 24, 2016, while Koh disappeared on February 13, 2017.
On Wednesday, the High Court ordered the government to pay RM3.26 million in damages, including costs and interest, to Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, and more than RM37 million to Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, after ruling in their favour against the government and police.
The AGC has since announced that it will file an appeal against the court’s decision requiring the government to pay the compensation.
In two separate statements yesterday, the AGC said the appeal concerns the ruling by High Court Judge Datuk Su Tiang Joo, who found the police and government responsible for the disappearance of the two men. — Bernama
