I was informed about activist’s ‘Shia house’, says ex-Special Branch man
Vinodh Pillai | July 23, 2018
Former Perlis Special Branch chief Awaluddin Jadid tells the inquiry into Amri Che Mat's disappearance that he conveyed the information given to him without 'filtering' anything.
Former Perlis Special Branch chief Awaluddin Jadid says he obtained his information on Shia activities from social media and informers.
KUALA LUMPUR: A former police officer told the inquiry into the disappearance of Amri Che Mat today that he had concluded the activist’s home was a centre to spread Shia teachings based on information he had received.
Former Perlis Special Branch chief Awaluddin Jadid also said he had informed state mufti Asri Zainul Abidin about Amri’s house last year.
“I conveyed what was told to me, and I didn’t filter any information,” he said when cross-examined by Nizam Bashir, the lawyer representing Amri’s family.
Nizam was referring to a PowerPoint presentation prepared for Asri in 2016. Awaluddin previously told the inquiry that it was normal for Special Branch personnel to have PowerPoint presentations at meetings such as the one held with Asri on Oct 7, 2016, a little over a month before Amri went missing.
Speaking at the Suhakam inquiry, Awaluddin said he obtained information on Shia activities from social media and informers.
When asked about the mufti’s stand on Shia being an extremist belief, Awaluddin said he had touched on various aspects of extremism, including Shia Islam.
“What he made of it was beyond my knowledge,” he added.
When asked if Shia teachings were a form of extremism, Awaluddin cited the national fatwa labelling it as deviant.
He also disagreed with Nizam’s assertion that Perlis Hope, the charitable organisation run by Amri, was operating within the confines of the law.
Amri went missing on Nov 24, 2016. His wife previously said that five vehicles had blocked his car before he was whisked away, some 500m from their home in Bukit Chabang, Perlis.
The inquiry continues today
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However, former DCP Awaluddin Jadid tells Suhakam inquiry that the Special Branch kept an eye on Amri’s Shia activities.
Former police deputy commissioner Awaluddin Jadid says he made a courtesy call to Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin in 2016.
KUALA LUMPUR: Former police deputy commissioner Awaluddin Jadid denied today that he had anything to do with the disappearance of missing Perlis activist Amri Che Mat.
He told the Suhakam inquiry into the disappearance of Amri, Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu, that he also did not know anyone by the name of Sergeant Shamzaini.
On May 12, Amri’s wife Norhayati Ariffin claimed that she met with a Sergeant Shamzaini who had implicated Awaluddin in Amri’s disappearance.
However, Shamzaini later filed a police report denying that he was Norhayati’s informer.
Awaluddin admitted that he met Perlis Mufti Asri Zainul Abidin in 2016 to discuss various issues, including Amri’s activities, but that it was only a “courtesy call”.
He said he made the “courtesy call” to Asri’s office on Oct 7, 2016, when he was with the Special Branch’s Social and Religious Extremism Division at Bukit Aman.
He said several issues were mentioned at the meeting, including an outlawed school of Islamic thought known as Tarekat Tijani and the Islamic State.
He did not deny that Shia Islam and Amri as well as Amri’s NGO, Perlis Hope, were among the topics discussed.
“We talked about Perlis Hope being a front for Amri’s Shia activities.”
Previously, Inspector Razman Ramli, who is with the Special Branch’s Social and Religious Extremism Divison at the Perlis police headquarters, had informed the inquiry that he was at the time investigating whether Amri was spreading Shia Islam teachings.
Awaluddin agreed with this but said Amri wasn’t the only person being investigated.
“We investigated all Shia practitioners, not only Amri,” he said.
To a question as to whether it was normal to carry out such surveillance, Awaluddin said: “We monitor based on intelligence which normally comes from the public through social media, networking and such.
“The Special Branch’s Social and Religious Extremism Divison has officers all over and the intelligence we gather will be provided to the departments and authorities concerned, including the Islamic religious authorities.
“The Special Branch doesn’t work to provide proof. We work based on intelligence, we then provide that to the religious authorities.”
Asked whether there was evidence tying Amri to extremist activities, Awaluddin said no.
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