I was informed about activist’s ‘Shia house’, says ex-Special Branch man
Awaluddin Jadid, a former head of a special branch division, tells the inquiry into Amri Che Mat’s disappearance that he conveyed the information given to him without ‘filtering’ anything.
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.
Awaluddin Jadid, a former head of a special branch division in Bukit Aman, 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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