Break the silence over Suhakam report on abductions

THERE seems to be a deafening silence on the part of the leaders of the component parties of the Pakatan Harapan government (DAP, PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu and Parti Amanah Negara) with regards to the findings of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) public inquiry into the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.

Where are the voices of Lim Kit Siang and PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who should be leading the calls for immediate police investigations into the kidnapping since police reports have already been made based on the Suhakam report?

The involvement of state apparatus in the abductions is reason enough for an unequivocal joint response from the Pakatan government. However, as of now, all we have is the weak, perhaps even dismissive, comment from the Prime Minister who described Suhakam’s evidence as “merely hearsay”.

The Malaysian public should take note of the fact that the punishment for those found guilty of kidnapping is death. That’s an indication of the seriousness of the offence.

All Malaysians should rally together and persuade the government to order enforcement agencies to launch immediate and thorough investigations and bring the culprits to book. Nothing less should be accepted.

A government which condones criminal acts is not one the people can trust. So, the sooner the relevant agencies initiate action to investigate and identify those guilty of the despicable acts, the faster the restoration of faith in our government.

OLD PUTERA Royal Military College