Government told to do the right thing and heed the calls for a more credible task force, which is not to appease but to uncover the truth.
The family of Pastor Raymond Koh and civil society groups took offence at Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement when defending the composition of the task force re-investigating Koh’s disappearance that the government cannot please everyone.
According to Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, the family is hoping for an independent and credible task force to probe her husband’s disappearance.
“It’s not about pleasing people. It’s about doing what is right, (obeying the) basic principles of fairness and equality,” Liew said, as quoted by portal The Malaysian Insight.
She said that it was Mahathir who had been talking about upholding the rule of law.
Her family, and the families of other victims of alleged enforced disappearance, however, have not received the justice they deserve, Liew added.
“The government owes it to them and the whole country – the truth and nothing but the truth. We can only know the truth of what happened to Koh, Amri, Joshua Hilmy and Ruth if credible people are put on the task force,” she said.
Liew’s comments came as a response to Mahathir’s remarks on Thursday, where the premier said Putrajaya “cannot please everybody” when asked about the disappointment of Koh and Amri Che Mat’s families over the task force line-up.
The families were unhappy over the task force’s lack of gender and race diversity. They also had objected that half of the task force members are from the police force, including one officer who represented the police at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) public inquiry.
Meanwhile, the family’s lawyer, Jerald Gomez said Koh’s family wants the government to disband the task force and set up a new one.
“The PM should appreciate that we are talking about the basic principles of fairness and equality. (It is) not about pleasing anyone.
“It was the PM who said his government would uphold and follow the rule of law, and that includes natural justice and the rule against being bias,” said Gomez, as quoted by the news portal.
If the government does not care to consider the wishes of the family, it should at least be concerned about the opinion of the public, who want an independent, fair and credible task force, he said.
Meanwhile, civil society group Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (CAGED), in welcoming the prime minister’s willingness to look into the complaints, said the members of the task force must be capable of ensuring stern action is taken against the perpetrators to send a message that there is no room for police impunity in the new Malaysia heralded by the change of government.
It added that they should also be able to address institutional failures which resulted in the failures documented by the Suhakam panel.
CAGED maintained that three people should not be on the task force.
CAGED and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) were instrumental in the inception of Suhakam’s public inquiry.
Suaram’s executive director Sevan Doraisamy said Dr Mahathir’s reaction to criticism of the task force was baffling.
“The prime minister is correct. The government cannot please everyone.
“The question is, why did the government choose to please the alleged perpetrators by forming a compromised task force and not please Malaysians who are seeking justice for the missing activists?”
Sevan said the inclusion of police officers in the task force is absurd as their neutrality was doubtful.
Earlier reports:
Jun 27, PM to Look into Amri, Koh Task Force Complaints
Jun 27, Criticism Against Composition of Task Force
Jun 26, Ex-High Court Judge Heads Six-Man Task Force in Amri, Koh Probe