KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — A witness told the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of activist Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Hilmy today that he had seen email exchanges between Khairy Jamaluddin and the missing pastor.
Standing as the fifth witness in the hearing, Malaysiakini reported Selvakumar Peace John Harris, an engineer who resides at Butterworth, Penang, saying he saw the emails on Joshua’s laptop and mobile phone when the latter paid him a visit at his home on May 2016.
“It is not with me, I saw that email on Joshua’s laptop and phone when he met me in May 2016 at home,” he reportedly said, referring to the email.
When asked by Suhakam commissioner Datuk Hishamuddin Yunus whether he had a copy or screenshot of the email, Selvakumar said he did not.
Selvakumar, who was the owner of Joshua and Ruth’s residence in Selangor, yesterday testified that in the email exchange, the former youth and sports minister had urged for the pastor to leave the country.
In a statement yesterday, Khairy denied knowing and ever contacting Joshua through emails or any other means of communications.
Hishamuddin then asked about Khairy’s denial. However, Selvakumar was adamant that the former federal minister had indeed communicated with Joshua.
“I am very sure that he sent those e-mails, he did not need to deny it,’’ he reportedly said.
Apart from Hishammuddin, the hearing today is chaired by Jerald Joseph and Madeline Berma.
The hearing continues tomorrow.
Joshua, who was believed to be a Malay-Muslim who converted to Christianity, and Ruth were last seen on November 30, 2016, and subsequently reported missing on March 6 the following year.
Previously, Suhakam also conducted an inquiry into the abductions of two other activists — Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat — and concluded that they were the victims of “enforced disappearance”.
Suhakam concluded in its inquiry then that the police’s Special Branch was involved, based on witness testimony as well as footage of Koh’s abduction that was caught by a nearby surveillance camera.
