SB officer: No proof Amri involved in Syiah activities

By ASHLEY TANG ashleytang@thestar.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: There is no proof that social activist Amri Che Mat was involved in Syiah activities although he was being monitored before his disappearance, says a Special Branch officer.

Perlis Special Branch Social Extremism Division (E2) head Asst Supt Razman Ramli said this was part of the analytical work on Syiah that he was working on.

“According to the investigation of my analysis papers on Syiah, Amri Che Mat is on the list to be monitored,” ASP Razman told a hearing by the Human Rights Commission on the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh along with, among others, Amri, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu.

Yesterday, ASP Razman, who has 14 years’ experience in the police force, said his division conducted intelligence work on religious issues.

Asked by the counsel for Amri’s family, Datuk Jerald Gomez, on what basis he was being monitored, ASP Razman said they wanted to know whether he was spreading Syiah teachings.

When probed further, he said that since helming the division in April 2016, he has found no proof that Amri was spreading Syiah.

ASP Razman, who used to be an officer in the Perlis Special Branch Economic Intelligence (E5) Division, said only staff from his current division were involved in the monitoring of Syiah activities.

Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, had earlier claimed that ASP Razman had been among the Special Branch officers who monitored the social activist before his disappearance in Kangar on Nov 24, 2016.

His vehicle was later found with the windscreen smashed.

ASP Razman told the inquiry that he was attending a course in Pahang when Amri disappeared, adding that he was told about the incident by one of his officers.

When he returned from his trip the next day, he said, he immediately went to the scene where Amri’s car was found.

“I just drove by the place where his car was found,” ASP Razman said, adding that he did not get down from his vehicle.

He said he went there on his own as he was curious and also because Amri was being monitored.

ASP Razman also said he did not personally know Sjn Shamzaini Mohd Daud except that he was an officer with the Perlis Special Branch Administration Division and he was promoted to the Economic Intelligence (E5) Division this year.

Norhayati had claimed that Sjn Shamzaini told her that her husband was taken away by the Bukit Aman Special Branch.

Sjn Shamzaini has denied that allegation.

Recently, many sympathisers gathered at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur in solidarity with the families of Koh and Amri.