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THE Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) will appeal the High Court’s decision ordering the police and government to pay more than RM3 million in damages to the wife of missing activist Amri Che Mat.
The AGC confirmed the move in a statement issued on Thursday morning, saying: “After reviewing and considering the decision of the learned judge, this department will file an appeal to the Court of Appeal against the ruling.”
Earlier, Justice Datuk Su Tiang Joo had allowed the lawsuit filed by Amri’s wife, Noorhayati Mohd Ariffin, ruling that she had proven her case based on the balance of probabilities.
In his decision, the judge ordered PDRM and the government to pay general, aggravated, exemplary and special damages, along with costs, amounting to RM3,264,457.52. He also directed the police to reopen investigations into Amri’s disappearance starting Wednesday and to provide progress reports to the Attorney-General every two months.
Justice Su found that the authorities had violated Noorhayati’s constitutional right to life under Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution by failing to conduct a proper investigation into her husband’s disappearance.
Amri Che Mat, founder of the Perlis Hope Welfare Association, has been missing for nearly nine years after leaving his home in Kangar at around 10.30pm on 24 November 2016 in a silver Toyota Fortuner. The following morning, his vehicle was found abandoned at a construction site in Bukit Chabang, about 25 kilometres from his home, with its window smashed. Amri, a father of four, was nowhere to be found.
Witnesses later claimed to have seen several four-wheel-drive vehicles surrounding Amri’s Fortuner on the night of his disappearance, though the identities of those involved remain unknown.
Noorhayati filed the suit to seek answers regarding her husband’s fate and to claim compensation based on findings from a Special Task Force report on the case.
AGC to appeal decision in Pastor Koh's case also
In a separate matter, the AGC said it would also appeal against the High Court's decision which ruled that the government and police were liable for breaching their statutory duties over the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh.
The AGC said the decision to file the appeal was made after reviewing the ruling delivered by the High Court judge in the case.
"After reviewing and considering the decision of the Honourable Judge, we will file an appeal with the Court of Appeal against the decision," it said in a statement.
Yesterday, Justice Su ordered both the government and police to pay Koh's family RM10,000 a day from the date he was abducted until his whereabouts are disclosed.
The figure amounts to more than RM31 million for 3,187 days, till today.
The judge ruled that one or more police personnel ― former and currently employed ― were involved in the abduction and had acted “oppressively and arbitrarily”, misusing their public power to abduct Koh eight years ago.
He further awarded RM4 million in damages and RM250,000 in costs.
Koh, who founded the NGO Harapan Komuniti, was abducted by a group of armed men along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya on Feb 13, 2017, while on his way to a friend's house.
CCTV footage, believed to be of the incident, showed at least 15 men in tactical gear and three black SUVs involved in the abduction, which was done in a "professional" style. – November 6, 2025