Possible conflict of interest, no diversity - families slam task force composition

The families of missing pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis activist Amri Che Mat have opposed the overall composition of the task force formed to probe the pair’s disappearance.

Koh's family pointed out that there were no women in the task force and added that it did not reflect the composition and the multiracial spirit of the country.

All six members of the team announced by Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin are Malay males.

Koh's family had earlier called for a member of the Bar Council, MACC and an NGO to be included, in order to give the task force a more balanced and independent outlook.

They also slammed the inclusion of former Royal Malaysian Police Legal Unit chief Moktar Mohd Noor in the task force, saying that a police officer who participated in the Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) hearing which judged the two men to be victims of enforced disappearances should not have been appointed.

"It is important that the investigation into Amri’s case and that of Koh’s be looked at together, as there is similar factual evidence, a similar modus operandi and similar vehicles used, and the same police officer from Bukit Aman was put in charge of both investigations," Koh's family said.

Amri's wife Norhayati Mohd Ariffin also expressed her unhappiness over Moktar's inclusion, saying that his unit was "implicated in the flawed investigation into Amri’s abduction and later, in the team representing the police during the Suhakam inquiry”.

"Moktar is clearly an interested party and so, represents a conflict of interest," she said.

Who are the members of task force probing Koh, Amri disappearances?