KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has allowed an application by the government to stay an earlier court order to allow limited access to the classified special task force report on the disappearance of social activist Amri Che Mat to his wife Norhayati Mohd Ariffin.
Lawyer Larissa Ann Louis, representing Norhayati, when met by reporters said Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh made the decision on June 1.
“The government of Malaysia filed the application for a stay after filing a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal on May 23 against the order,” she said.
Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly, when contacted, confirmed the matter.
On May 9, Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, in allowing a judicial review application by Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, 50, ordered the report be released within 30 days exclusively to the woman.
In her application, Norhayati sought, among others, a declaration that the report prepared by the task force did not fall within the definition of an ‘official secret’ under Section 2 of the OSA.
Norhayati had also filed a civil suit against 21 parties, including the government and the police, over her husband’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, in proceedings before Judicial Commissioner Su Tiang Joo today, the court ordered that the suit trial continue on the dates that have been set from June 19-22.
The proceedings were also attended by another lawyer representing Norhayati, Surendra Ananth and Senior Federal Counsel Zetty Zurina Kamaruddin representing the government. - Bernama