KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 13): The investigation into the disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat has been reopened, and this time will be led by a police officer with the rank of Assistant Commissioner (ACP), said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The investigation team will be supervised by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director and will report its progress to the Attorney General’s Chambers every two months, as ordered by the High Court.

“The government respects the principle of the rule of law. This government is committed to uncovering the truth and upholding justice,” Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday during ministerial question time.

Last Wednesday, High Court Judge Datuk Su Tiang Joo ordered the government to pay RM10,000 per day to Koh’s family, starting from the date of his disappearance on Feb 13, 2017, until he is found.

The judge also granted RM4 million in general damages and RM250,000 in legal costs to Koh’s family. Together with the daily sum to date, the total amounts to about RM37 million.

Su also ordered the government to pay a total of RM3.26 million in damages, along with costs and interest, to Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin.

The decision came after the court allowed the lawsuits filed by both women against the government and the police over the disappearances of their respective husbands.

The AGC has indicated that it will appeal the court verdicts.

On Thursday, Saifuddin stressed that the AGC’s consideration to appeal the verdicts includes financial costs and the potential establishment of a legal precedent for future cases.

However, he emphasised that the appeal should not be viewed as the government taking lightly the issues of life, rights, and freedoms, or prioritising financial burdens. Instead, it is about upholding the principle of universal justice.

“Of the 10 people reported missing, nine have been found and only one remains missing. But if the court rules that the police abused their power and violated constitutional rights, it could set a precedent allowing families of the disappeared to sue the government in the future,” he added.

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