Speaking as a witness at the public inquiry into the disappearance of Joshua and his wife, Ruth Sitepu, Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) general secretary Hermen Shastri said records of pastors converting people of other faiths are all kept by the respective member churches.

“It only comes to my attention when it becomes a state or national issue, when there is an allegation or accusation made,” he told the inquiry panel.

“CCM, the national body, also does not keep statistics of the breakdown among the ethnic groups in the different churches in the country.”

While he acknowledged that baptism was a rite that signalled one’s formal entry into the Christian faith, Hermen said he was unable to answer questions about Joshua’s baptism work as it depended on the congregation that the latter followed.

He added that he did not know the couple personally, nor had he ever met or heard about them, prior to their disappearance.

He said, however, that he has colleagues who were acquainted with Ruth as she used to worship at a Methodist congregation in Ipoh, Perak.

According to Hermen, he was briefed the moment the disappearance of the couple became known and has since been following the developments in the case.

He also said that within the Christian community, everyone had the right to be treated equally and respectfully, regardless of their ethnic background.

“With regard to Joshua, we recognise his difficulties, and we stand alongside him.

“However, we cannot in any way say that just because he is a Muslim convert, that he is belligerent or he is doing something outside the fold of the Christian faith.”

Joshua, a Malay Muslim who converted to Christianity, and Ruth have been missing for over four years. They were last seen on Nov 30, 2016.