State Actors Not Afraid Of What They Did To Koh Amri

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“The logical inference drawn from the totality of the evidence is that the abduction involves state actors, whether acting directly or indirectly, or with the knowledge, acquiescence, or support of others within the police infrastructure (in which) the defendant’s inability to provide a credible alternative explanation further supports this conclusion.”
 - Judge Su Tiang Joo
The state actors involved in the kidnapping of Pastor Raymond Koh and social activist Amri Che Mat are probably inconvenienced by the latest verdict but are not threatened by it.
These people are cut from the same cloth as the state actors, some of whom are within the state security apparatus, who protect the wanted kidnapper of M Indira Gandhi’s child.
You have to understand that the state actors who kidnapped Koh and Amri probably believe that what they did was righteous and sanctioned by their superiors, enabled by the religious apparatus. You better believe there is enough plausible deniability to cover the behinds of various political operatives.
Who had the power to order a tactical squad to kidnap Malaysians for whatever reasons? Who had the authority to issue such commands?
Who felt secure enough that their crime would go unsanctioned by the former Umno state? Who had the political influence to concoct such a manoeuvre, which bypasses the traditional state security apparatus and mete out whatever fate had befallen these people?
CCTV footage of the abduction of Raymond KohWhoever these people are, they were confident that the narratives of the state security apparatus would shield them from repercussions of the former Umno state and, here is the important part, they may very well be shielded from successive governments’ sanctions as well.
Madani in no position to sanction offenders
This is why Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, when expressing her disbelief that the Madani government would file an appeal against the decision, said the following.
“Why did they not do anything based on their own commissioned report, which they had complete control over, is baffling.
“This is a finding by a body commissioned by the cabinet itself, the highest branch of the executive in the country.”
That is when you realise that nothing was going to be done ab initio (from the beginning).
Everyone involved in this conspiracy understands that the Madani government is in no position to expose or sanction them.
In fact, if Madani were to actually do something to shine a light on these state actors, it would create such chaos that it would benefit the religious opposition.
Let us be very clear - there will be a large section of the polity who will believe that whatever happened to Koh and Amri was well within the political and moral authority of the state. This, of course, is the unpleasant reality about these cases.
ADSThis judgment and its fast-track appeal by the Madani government are a shocking legal and public indictment of the police and the various incarnations of the Home Ministry.
But they are also a reminder of the unchecked, unsanctioned, and unacknowledged existence of the deep Islamic state.
Bureaucracy, propaganda, education
Some folk scoff when I use the term deep Islamic state. This is understandable.
After all, political operatives like to blame their political failings and failed campaign promises on some sort of cabal whose sole existence is to maintain the status quo, even though various iterations of political coalitions have never strayed from the social contract politics which define mainstream politics of this country.
In 2019, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang attempted to blame the slow-to-non-existent reforms on the deep state.
“The deep state is, in fact, an important reason why institutional and political reforms for a ‘New Malaysia’ are not as rapid as they should be,” he said.
DAP veteran Lim Kit SiangAll of this is complete bunkum, of course. Reforms are slow or non-existent because there is no political will.
There is no political will because everyone wants to maintain the status quo, but wants their respective bases to believe that they are offering something new.
But there is a “deep Islamic state”. It is a result of the vast religious bureaucracy, the doctrinal teachings of propaganda endeavours like the National Civics Bureau (Biro Tata Negara), the religious education system, and foreign influence, either through education or experience in foreign theatres of war.
What we are talking about here are “fellow travellers” who enjoy the support, either knowingly or unknowingly, of the Malay/Muslim political apparatus, who believe they are setting the religious agenda, but in reality, are being manipulated by fascist elements with agendas of their own.
These travellers aim to subvert the constitutional bedrock of this country and turn this country into an “Islamic” state, even if it’s not the agenda of the Malay bureaucracy, royalty, plutocrat class or political brokers, whose definition of an “Islamic state” is relatively benign, if compared to the forces who are using it.
Abductions recorded
But forget all of this for a moment. There is allegedly a video recording of Koh’s kidnapping.
As stated in Suhakam’s report: “(The investigating officer) said it happened (during) broad daylight, it was very quick... He said the fact that someone was taking a video, (would) fit the police operation method.”
Keep in mind that Koh had been harassed by the state before, and in 2011, championed by then Selangor state exco member Hasan Ali, there was a raid on Koh’s charitable centre.
Here is a description of the “raid” that Hasan claimed was not a raid, according to witness Pastor Daniel Ho.
“Around 30 Islamic religious and police officials entered the church compound in Selangor without a warrant and began taking videos and photographs.”
Therefore, that imagery of the state recording the event crops up again. The fact of the matter is that whoever kidnapped Koh, and no doubt Amri too, had recorded these operations for unknown purposes.
Longtime rights activist Kua Kia Soong was right, as he usually is when it comes to most things in this country, when he said that the appeal is “an act that can only be seen as protecting institutional impunity.”
This is the point. These state actors understand that Madani and any government after will protect them. - Mkini
S THAYAPARAN is commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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