Speaking to FMT, Shahidan said he knew Perlis Hope through the social media, but not Amri.
“I don’t know this guy,” he added.
At the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry today, Amri’s wife Norhayati Ariffin named Shahidan and the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department as among those she suspects were involved in her husband’s disappearance.
She said Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was part of a team of some 20 officers from the police and the Mufti’s Department, who had arrived outside her house to question her husband about his NGO.
According to Norhayati, Shahidan had criticised Perlis Hope on Facebook after Amri helped build houses for the poor near the minister’s house in Arau.
However, Shahidan said he had no issue with any NGO doing this as they are volunteers.
“If they want to build homes, I have no problems,” he said.
“I encourage people to build houses. I am in charge of volunteers from both Barisan Nasional and the opposition who help me during disasters.”
The minister said however that he did not wish to comment further on the matter until contacted by the police.
“I don’t want to get involved because I don’t know head or tail (of the matter).”
Suhakam is continuing its inquiry into Amri’s disappearance, as well as that of Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth.
Amri, who co-founded Perlis Hope, has been missing since Nov 24, 2016.
Norhayati said that five vehicles had blocked Amri’s car before he was whisked away, just 550 metres from their home in Bukit Chabang, Perlis.
Joshua and his wife, Ruth, meanwhile, were last seen on Nov 30, 2016. A police report was lodged in Klang but the case was referred to the Petaling Jaya police as the complainant said the missing persons lived in Kampung Tunku.
The inquiry had also included the case of Pastor Raymond Koh, who has been missing since February last year after he was abducted by some 10 men in Petaling Jaya.
However, the inquiry now focuses on the three other missing persons after a suspect was charged with kidnapping Koh last week.