Shabana Kooijman said her last contact with the Malaysian police was during her 18th trip to the country in 2017 following the death of her father, Kooijman Adriaan Hans Hendrich, who was 68.
“My last call to Bukit Aman was some time in 2018 but no one wanted to take my call,” the 41-year-old former sales manager told FMT by phone.
“It’s the police who classified the case as murder in the first place. They even told me they had identified the suspects, but no one has been charged till today.
“The murder of any citizen, local or foreign, must be given serious attention by the local authorities. Leaving the families of victims in uncertainty is as cruel as to have to live with the uncertainty that justice will not prevail. I am not going to give up my quest for answers.”
According to local news reports then, police said post-mortem results showed Kooijman had a wound at the back of his head caused by a blunt object and that the assailant possibly drowned him in the bathtub, probably on Sept 14, 2008.
His body was found in a foetal position in his room on the 31st floor of the hotel at Jalan Tun Razak with the bathtub tap still running.
Shabana said her father was in Kuala Lumpur scouting for a home to buy and had multiple credit cards which police confirmed were also used by third parties who she claimed were identified.
“They told me they had also seen the CCTV recordings of whoever entered or left his room. Why did they not pursue the case then? I need answers before I can rest.”
She said she wrote a letter to Najib Razak in 2014 when he was the prime minister but did not receive any response. She recently wrote to Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani seeking a status report.
“The police officers who dealt with me then were Teh Boon Ang and Zakaria Pagan. Teh was very helpful but not Zakaria who stopped entertaining me after some time. I even got the Interpol involved but my father’s murder remains a mystery,” she said.
On Wednesday, Shabana released a video clip making a plea to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte for answers so that justice is served. It was widely reported in the Dutch media.
Meanwhile, lawyer SN Nair, who has been engaged by Shabana, described the incident as a tragic episode in her family’s life. He said that since the police had opened an investigation paper, a suspect or suspects must have been identified.
“Why have the police remained silent since their last communication to her in 2017? Under Section 107A of the Criminal Procedure Code, they are duty bound to inform on the status of an investigation when requested by the complainant.
“It’s flabbergasting that my client was not given a status report despite several requests. She has recently written a letter to Acryl Sani, who is known for his assiduity and diligence.
“I hope he will reopen the probe and assure Shabana that no stone will be left unturned in leading to the arrest and prosecution of her father’s killers,” he told FMT.
FMT has reached out to the police for comment.