Suhakam inquiry into Joshua Helmi, Ruth Sitepu's disappearance to resume on Friday (June 11)

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will resume a public inquiry into the disappearances of Joshua Helmi and Ruth Sitepu on Friday (June 11), five months after its last hearing was held.

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said that the inquiry was at its tail-end.

"We have one to two more days to complete the inquiry before the final submission by the parties," he said on Thursday (June 10).

Joshua and Ruth were last seen on the night of Nov 30, 2016, and have not responded to any of their messages or calls since that date.

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

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

Ruth, who is Indonesian, was reported missing along with her husband, Joshua, in 2016.

Both of them were born a few days apart in 1969 and were married in 2004

In April 2019, Suhakam concluded in their inquiries that Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat were victims of "enforced disappearance by state agents".

In announcing the findings of the public inquiry, 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."