Mah Weng Kwai, the commissioner of the government’s Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) which convened the year-long inquiry, said the inquiry would reopen if one of two persons said to have witnessed Amri’s abduction was located.

The witness is the cousin of Saiful Afdzan Seinei, who previously testified that he had seen Amri being abducted outside his restaurant. Saiful did not show up to testify today.

A video was instead shown in which Saiful said he and his cousin witnessed Amri being kidnapped and driven away in his own car.

Mah said Saiful should be sought by the police and called to testify.

He said the inquiry, which commenced on Oct 19 last year, had passed the one year mark, would now go through submissions and deliberations.

A total of 25 witnesses had testified at the inquiry, including senior policemen and Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who denied a suggestion that he had harassed Amri over his alleged Shia leanings.

“We will close the proceedings today with a caveat, in that it will be subject to being reopened if there’s a chance of getting Afiq to come,” Mah said, referring to Mohd Afiq Adli, Saiful’s cousin.

“We hope we won’t be put in the same position as we did with Saiful in getting him to come,” he added, referring to Saiful’s constant no-show in the inquiry despite being served notices to testify.

Saiful, who is also wanted by the police, has yet to testify in the inquiry as he claimed that he would incur losses to his restaurant business in Perlis if he had to attend the inquiry.

He had, however, shown up unannounced several times this year during the inquiry and was upset when he was not allowed to testify during those times.

Saiful, who was scheduled to testify today, is currently in Langkawi, the inquiry was told today by Bukit Aman representative R Munusamy.

A police report had previously been made on Saiful’s absence at the inquiry. He has been charged in the Magistrate’s Court under Section 174 of the Penal Code for being absent and disobeying an order from a public officer but he failed to show up in court as well.

The panel, meanwhile, set Nov 15 for Afiq to testify.

Mah also asked the lawyers and observers for the inquiry, which include lawyers representing Amri’s family, the police force and the Malaysian Bar Council, to prepare their written submissions by Jan 15 and exercise their right of reply.

The terms of the three member-panel ends in April.

Amri, 44, is the co-founder of charity organisation Perlis Hope.

The inquiry is also investigating three other related disappearances: Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu. Koh was last seen in February last year while Hilmy and Ruth, on Nov 30, 2016.

The inquiry will present their findings and recommendations to Parliament next year.