KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today he did not instruct the police’s Special Branch to abduct pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat whose disappearances were found to be enforced disappearance.

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) announced this morning the findings of its inquiry and said there was compelling evidence the police intelligence unit was involved in the abductions years ago when Zahid had been the home minister.

"There is no such directive given by me. I hope the investigation will be carried out professionally,” he said when asked about the matter at the Parliament lobby today.

Norhayati Mohd Arifin — the wife of Amri Che Mat — embraces their daughter Nur Masarrah during the announcement of Suhakam’s public inquiry findings into the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Kuala Lumpur April 3, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara

This morning, Suhakam chairman Datuk Mah Weng Kwai announced the findings of the commission’s inquiry into the disappearances, concluding that agents of the state were likely involved in both incidents and that of another two missing activists.

Among others, the inquiry found "uncanny similarities” between the two abductions such as comparable modus operandi, the involvement of religious issues, direct surveillance, and presence of a gold Toyota Vios in both.

The Toyota Vios was seen parked near Amri’s house before his disappearance and was also present at the Koh’s scene of abduction, which Mah said "was no mere coincidence.”

Amri, who is a co-founder of the Perlis Hope group, was reported missing since November 24, 2016. During the incident, five vehicles blocked his car and moments later he was seen taken away from his Bukit Chabang home in Perlis.

Koh, on the other hand, was abducted on February 13, 2017 by a group of men along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya while heading to his friend’s house.

Both cases involved suspected proselytisation to Muslims that is illegal under Malaysian law.