Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry for activist Amri Che Mat’s disappearance that he only knew about the case from reading news reports.
“After reading news reports I found out that he was the subject of a missing person report. I asked one of my officers what really had happened and was told it was a case of a missing person,” he said at Suhakam Headquarters today.
Khalid said he could not remember which officer informed him about the case, but said he must have been from Perlis as the case took place there.
He added that there was no briefing about the case, but since it was on social media he had asked about it.
“There was no other investigation on it other than a case of a missing person. And there was no task force formed to investigate his disappearance,” Khalid stated.
When asked by Amri’s family lawyer, Larissa Anne Louis, if Amri was under surveillance for being a Shia follower, Khalid said he could not confirm this.
“I cannot confirm this as I am not very familiar with this case. Shia is not a problem to be tackled by the police, but it is under the religious authorities of the states. The police would assist in certain cases if needed,” he said.
On what was the police’s view on Shia teachings, Khalid said the force followed the policies of the government.
He pointed out that the fatwa council had already issued a fatwa that teachings other than Sunni teachings were forbidden.
On whether Shia followers are considered a threat, Khalid said there was a possibility that they could become a threat to national security, which would then require the police to investigate.
“If they pose a threat, then we need to take much sterner action. It is a judgment call. Depending on the severity of the threat (we will then take action).
“(In the Perak case) there were no elements of violence, which is why the state Islamic religious department led the raid. (The offence committed) was in violation of a fatwa. It was not violence,” he said.
He claimed that any raid to do with religious matters would be led by the religious authorities and not the police.
According to Khalid, the police would accompany religious authorities in their raids to provide assistance on security and logistics matters.
Amri, who co-founded the NGO Perlis Hope, had left his home in Kangar at about 11.30pm on Nov 24, 2016, in his SUV.
His wife previously said that five vehicles had blocked his car before he was whisked away, some 500 metres from their home in Bukit Chabang, Perlis.
His car was later found at the construction site of the Bukit Cabang Sports School in the early hours of the morning the following day.
Police had said that Amri had links to Shia teachings.
The inquiry was chaired by commissioners Datuk Mah Weng Kwai, Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.