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Landmark ruling holds authorities accountable
Kuala Lumpur's High Court delivered a historic verdict last month, declaring Malaysia's police and government liable for the 2017 abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh. The decision marks the first judicial acknowledgment of enforced disappearance in the country's history.
Brazen daylight kidnapping
On 13 February 2017, Koh vanished within seconds as masked assailants in a convoy of SUVs and motorcycles ambushed his car in a quiet Kuala Lumpur suburb. The assault, captured on CCTV, showed attackers smashing his window, dragging him into a waiting vehicle, and speeding away with his car. Eyewitnesses initially mistook the operation for a film shoot due to its precision.
No ransom demand followed. Instead, the family discovered the abduction mirrored the 2016 disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat, who was also taken by masked men in near-identical circumstances.
Official investigations point to police
Two independent probes-the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and a government task force-concluded the police's elite Special Branch orchestrated both abductions. Investigators cited religious motives: Koh was accused of attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity, while Che Mat was targeted for allegedly promoting Shia Islam, which is banned in Sunni-majority Malaysia.
A gold-coloured Toyota Vios linked to both cases was traced to a Special Branch officer. A police sergeant later confessed to Norhayati, Che Mat's wife, that the unit had kidnapped both men, though he later recanted. The rights commission deemed his initial account credible, noting inconsistencies in his denial.
"The police saw him as a threat to Islam. That's why they took him."
Susanna Liew, widow of Raymond Koh
Years of obstruction and trauma
Liew, 69, described a harrowing ordeal. Police interrogated her for five hours on the night of Koh's disappearance, grilling her about her husband's alleged attempts to convert Muslims. She sold handmade jewellery to fund her youngest daughter's education and battled depression and PTSD as the case stalled.
Officials initially floated debunked theories, including claims Koh was kidnapped by a drug cartel or an Uber driver. The rights commission dismissed these as "red herrings." Liew accused authorities of hindering the investigation, saying, "They were not forthcoming and even produced false leads."
Court awards record compensation
The High Court ordered the government to pay Liew millions of ringgit for emotional distress and to establish a trust fund accruing 10,000 ringgit (£1,830) daily until Koh's whereabouts are revealed. The total, now exceeding 32 million ringgit, is poised to become Malaysia's largest payout for such a case.
The judge ruled that "one or more" named police officials conspired in Koh's abduction, making the government "vicariously liable." The verdict also implicated Awaludin bin Jadid, a retired Special Branch official who led the unit targeting "social extremism." The report described his "extreme views" against Christianity and Shia Islam.
The government is appealing, citing "financial obligations" and the need to "uphold universal justice." Police have not responded to requests for comment.
Demands for justice and closure
Liew, who received the U.S. International Women of Courage award in 2020, has forgiven her husband's alleged abductors but remains resolute. "I want the truth to prevail," she told the BBC, choking back tears. "We need to know if he's dead or alive. This limbo is unbearable."
She is now calling for a disciplinary body to oversee police conduct, a commission of inquiry, and a task force to identify all involved in Koh's disappearance. To date, none of the officers named in the lawsuit have faced arrest or disciplinary action; one has since been promoted.
"I was just a housewife. Now, I'm fighting for justice-not just for Raymond, but for all victims of enforced disappearances."
Susanna Liew
