PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has assured that the government would look into any dissatisfaction voiced by members of the public, but maintained that it cannot please everyone.
He said this in response to concerns raised by families of missing pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat over the appointment of former and serving police officers in the six-member task force to probe the alleged involvement of Special Branch members in the disappearance.
“We cannot please all. Some people will be happy, some will not. I cannot guarantee everyone will be satisfied.
"(Nonetheless), we will look into any complaints and make improvements," said Dr Mahathir after the launch of the Rural Development Policy here.
Also present were Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun and her deputy R. Sivarasa.
The missing duo families had complained against the appointment of the taskforce members, including former police legal division chief Datuk Moktar Mohd Noor who was in the team representing the police at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry.
On Wednesday, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the task force members headed by former High Court judge Datuk Abd Rahim Uda.
Apart from Mokhtar, other members are federal police Integrity and Standards Compliance Department director Datuk Zamri Yahya, Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) operations director Datuk Muhammad Bukhari Ab Hamid, Attorney-General’s Chambers prosecuting division officer Mohd Sopian Zakaria and Police Commission (SPP) undersecretary Mohd Russaini Idrus.
Muhyiddin was also quoted as saying the findings by Suhakam in April that there was direct involvement of the police in the disappearances of the duo had caused worries and concerns among the public.
Such a conclusion was reached by Suhakam based on testimony from Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, who said she was told by Special Branch officer Mohd Shamzaini Mohd Daud that the disappearances of both Koh and Amri were carried out by Bukit Aman’s Special Branch.
The conclusion also drew from the police’s refusal to acknowledge this and reclassify Koh’s case from abduction to enforced disappearance.
Inquiries into the disappearances of Koh and Amri were held under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act. The inquiry on Koh’s case took place over 21 days and involved 16 witnesses. It ended on Dec 8.
Koh, whose real name is Keng Joo Koh, 64, was last seen by his wife Susanna Liew Sow Yoke in February 2017 in Petaling Jaya, less than three months after Amri’s abduction.