Landmark Court Ruling Finds Malaysian Police Responsible for Pastor Raymond Koh's Abduction
Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in broad daylight in Kuala Lumpur on 13 February 2017 by masked men; the incident was captured on CCTV and notably, there was no ransom demand made.
Two independent investigations—one by the rights commission and another by a government task force—found that the police Special Branch considered Koh a threat to Islam. Both inquiries ruled that the police were involved in or complicit with the abduction.
In 2019, the rights commission concluded that the Special Branch was responsible not only for Koh’s abduction but also for the disappearance of Amri Che Mat. Investigations linked a distinctive gold-coloured car to Koh’s case and other related abductions.
In 2020, Susanna Liew, Koh’s wife, filed a civil lawsuit alleging state liability for her husband’s disappearance. This led to a landmark High Court judgment against the government and police, which ordered financial compensation and the establishment of a daily trust fund to be paid once Koh’s whereabouts are disclosed.
The High Court ruled that one or more named police officials and the Royal Malaysian Police were responsible for the abduction, holding the government vicariously liable. The ruling entails multi-million ringgit payments to Liew and her family, with the trust fund likely to become Malaysia’s largest payout related to a disappearance case.
The government is currently appealing the verdict, raising issues concerning financial obligations and universal justice, while police investigations into the abductions continue.
Susanna Liew has publicly forgiven those believed to have taken her husband and has called for reforms, including the creation of a disciplinary body to monitor police conduct, a commission of inquiry, and a dedicated task force to pursue all involved. As of now, none of the named officials have been arrested or punished, and at-will continued concerns regarding police accountability remain.
