Amri's wife files civil suit against M'sian govt and police

Primary school teacher Norhayati Mohd Ariffin,44, (left) and her third daughter Nadia Nazurah Amri,15, (right) showed the picture of her missing husband Amri Che mat,44, during an interview at their house at Jalan padang Behor, Kangar, Perlis yesterday. Amri went missing on 24th Nov 2016 after an outing. His car was found an hour later (12.30am) abandoned at a abandoned school project at Bukit Chabang, Padang besar, Perlis. (Starpic by G.C.TAN/The Star-27th MAC 2017)

PETALING JAYA: The wife of missing activist Amri Che Mat (pic) has commenced civil proceedings against the Malaysian government and police over concerns of their conduct during investigations into Amri’s disappearance.

The claim was also filed against the Home Minister, former home minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, former Inspectors-General of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and Tan Sri Fuzi Harun, and former principal assistant director Comm (ret.) Datuk Awaludin Jadid.

Norhayati’s claim was filed on Monday (Nov 18) at the Kuala Lumpur High Court by lawyer Larissa Ann Louis of Azri, Lee Swee Seng & Co.

“This month marks three years since Amri was snatched from us, yet I remain in the dark as to where he is and whether he is still alive, ” said Norhayati in a press statement on Monday.

She said that from the beginning, it was clear to her that the police was actively failing to investigate her husband’s disappearance.

“I am convinced that this failure, especially in the critical first few days, is why my husband was not found or recovered safely from his abductors, ” she said, adding that her daughters and she have suffered and continue to suffer serious anguish and distress since Amri’s abduction.

Amri, who was the founder of the NGO Perlis Hope, left his home in Kangar around 11.30pm on Nov 24,2016, with his SUV later found at the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School in the wee hours of the following day.

Amri, who was investigated for allegedly spreading Syiah teachings, was also a mountain climber who was part of the 1997 Mount Everest Malaysian expedition team.

In April, The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) concluded in an inquiry that the Special Branch were behind the enforced disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri.

Since then, in June 2019, a task force was formed to look into their disappearances.

At the time of his disappearance in 2016, Amri and Norhayati, both 43, had been married for 19 years.

Since then, Norhayati, a primary school teacher, has shouldered all financial and non-financial responsibilities of the family as well as the burden of finding out the truth and securing justice for her disappeared husband.

“There are 21 defendants listed in this claim, all of whom are alleged to be liable, whether directly or indirectly, for the failure to investigate Amri’s disappearance, ” said Surendra Ananti, counsel for Norhayati.

“We say that the conduct of the defendants from the date of Amri’s abduction up until the formation of the special task force by the Minister of Home Affairs on 26 June 2019 is a violation of the said rights and amounts to actionable torts. To be clear, our claim is limited to the investigation aspect before the formation of the task force, ” she added.

To date, no one has been arrested or charged in connection with Amri’s disappearance, which is still officially classified as a “missing person” case by Perlis police.