KUALA LUMPUR: Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today admitted that his staff from the state mufti department had no warrant when they and police officers went to Perlis activist Amri Che Mat’s house about a year before he mysteriously disappeared in 2016.

Questioned at the inquiry into Amri’s disappearance held by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) here, Asri said they had gone to the house unannounced, but denied that it was a raid.

“When I arrived, I asked whether Amri was at home and if I could enter the premises,” he said.

“First I asked Amri’s wife and she seemed reluctant. Then another man came and I asked him and at first he seemed reluctant but then he brought the keys and let us in.

“Had they not allowed us in, we would have gone home,” he said.

The man Asri referred to was Amri’s brother-in-law Nor Hafizal Ariffin, who last month told the inquiry that he had opened the door to Amri’s home for Asri, his officers and the police.

Nor Hafizal was also present at a meeting with Amri at the mufti’s office the next day.

Asri has said that Amri had during the meeting admitted to practising Shia Islam, the school of thought banned by Malaysia’s Islamic authorities.

In January, Amri’s wife Norhayati Ariffin claimed that the Perlis mufti was part of a team of some 20 officers from the police and the Perlis Mufti Department, who raided her house to question her husband about his Perlis Hope organisation.

Asri had later attacked Amri for practising Shia Islam, saying it was a threat to national security.

But Asri denied having anything to do with Amri’s disappearance, saying he would not mind if a person practices the belief privately.

Asri said his visit on Oct 21, 2015 was only made following several complaints from those in Amri’s neighbourhood.

“We came to visit Amri, we did not expect to see so many Shia paraphernalia in his home. When we did, we were shocked and we took pictures.

“If Norhayati had told us not to take pictures, we would have stopped.”

Asri claimed he was not aware there were many policemen at Amri’s house, saying they had come earlier.

“I told the Raja Muda Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail of my intention to visit Amri’s house and he gave his blessing but on the condition that I bring the Perlis police chief in order to avoid any untoward incidents.

“On Oct 21, the Perlis police chief was not around so I went with his deputy.”

He claimed he could have asked his officers to get a warrant but decided to do it this way in order to avoid uneasiness between both parties.

“In order to maintain peace and harmony, I took it upon myself to go there.”

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