Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he would bring this matter to a “higher level” to review the steps the government could take in the process of releasing the report, Bernama reported.
“Amri has gone missing for a long time (since 2016), not during Anwar Ibrahim’s time as prime minister.
“But the court issued an order for the release of the report after Anwar became prime minister.
“Since the attorney-general has filed an appeal and the court then granted a stay of its order, I will definitely look into this matter,” he told reporters after an information session on the proposed construction of a design and technology workshop for Sekolah Kebangsaan Jabi here today.
Saifuddin, who is also chairman of the federal government’s Kedah State Development Committee, was commenting on an FMT report today about an activist questioning the alleged reluctance of the government to release the report.
Rama Ramanathan of Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (Caged) said the government should drop its appeal against the High Court order.
“The public really wonders what is in the report that is so damning about the police or the people who were in power at the time that they have to hide it?
“What has been discovered that makes it so dangerous for the nation? The government claimed that it is a matter of national security and that is why it is doing this. I think the resistance is just abominable.”
On May 9, High Court judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh ordered that the report be disclosed to Amri’s wife, Norhayati Ariffin, within 30 days. On June 7, the government successfully applied for a stay on the release.
Saifuddin said the committee investigating Amri’s disappearance was set up by the Pakatan Harapan government under then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
As such, he dismissed allegations that the current government was being sensitive about disclosing the classified report.
On another matter, Saifuddin also denied that political vengeance was behind the police investigation against Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor regarding his statement that Penang belongs to Kedah.
He said Sanusi was being investigated because his statement had caused uneasiness among the people.