Suhakam inquiry into disappearance of Joshua Hilmy, wife to resume Aug 12

PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu will resume on Wednesday (Aug 12), more than six months after it was halted because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said the inquiry would be held with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in place.

Ruth, who is Indonesian, was reported missing along with her Malaysian husband, Hilmy, a pastor, back in 2016.

The family said Ruth had not responded to any of their messages or calls since November 2016.

Suhakam had initiated investigations in connection with the disappearances under Section 12(1) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act.

The panel of inquiry is chaired by commissioner Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Yunus and assisted by commissioners Dr Madeline Berma and Jerald.

The hearings commenced from Feb 18 at Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, before they were halted in March.

The couple were said to have married according to Batak customs in 2006 before moving to Malaysia a year later.

Joshua, who is from Taiping, was a Muslim before converting to Christianity.

In April of last year, a Suhakam inquiry concluded that Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat were victims of "enforced disappearance by state agents".

In announcing the findings of the public inquiry on April 3, Suhakam had said that there was "direct and circumstantial evidence which proves, on balance of probabilities, that he was abducted by state agents, by Special Branch, Bukit Aman."