PUTRAJAYA, March 5 — Former top cop Tan Sri Norian Mai was named as deputy chairman of the royal inquiry panel to probe the mass graves discovery and human trafficking activity in Wang Kelian, Perlis.

 

Norian Mai will assist former chief justice, Tun Arifin Zakaria, who will lead the seven-member commission to investigate procedures or any officers "deemed necessary” to uncover the perpetrators, among others, and to make recommendation for action.

 

Other members of the RCI are former chief prosecutor, Datuk Noorbahri Baharuddin; current Suhakam chief commissioner Tan Sri Razali Ismail; former head of research at the Attorney General’s Chambers, Datuk Junaidah Abdul Rahman; former ambassador to Thailand, Datuk Nazirah Hussin; and former Kepong DAP member of parliament Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in handing over the appointment letters to the RCI panel members here, said the commission signalled the new government’s commitment to "find the truth” behind the mass graves, and bring the culprits to justice.

"To show our seriousness we need to appoint experienced, learned and credible members to the RCI,” he said in his speech.

"With it we hope to find answers to the questions surrounding the incident...and the law can take its due course so this inhumane activity will not happen again.”

In 2015, the authorities made a gruesome discovery of over 100 mass graves containing the bodies of what was believed to be Rohingya refugees, together with detention camps near the Malaysia-Thai border in Wang Kelian, Perlis.

The find followed a Malay Mail exposé on the camps.

The incident threw Malaysia’s anti-human trafficking policy under the spotlight, and drew attention to longstanding allegations about the involvement of top level officials.

Only four people, all foreign syndicate members, have been charged from police investigation even after a former inspector general of police alleged a cover up attempt.

The investigation procedures during and after the discovery will be among issues the RCI will scrutinise as part of its terms of reference.

The royal inquiry will also conduct a review on efforts to improve enforcement procedures after the discovery, and seek to establish if it had direct or indirect implication on the country’s human rights laws, financially or on bilateral relations.

Zakaria, speaking to reporters after his appointment, said the panel will hold its first meeting tomorrow morning.

The RCI will be given six months to prepare a report.