The wife of missing Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh has won a landmark lawsuit against the police and government after the high court ruled that he was forcibly disappeared by state agents. This decision marks Malaysia’s first such judgment, offering a sense of closure to the family after eight years of uncertainty.
Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in 2017 in broad daylight by masked men in Kuala Lumpur. The incident, captured on CCTV, shocked the nation and sparked widespread speculation about police involvement. His family has always maintained that he was taken by the authorities, a claim the police consistently denied.
In a groundbreaking ruling, the court declared the government and the Royal Malaysian Police responsible for his disappearance. It ordered the state to pay at least 31 million ringgit in damages—one of the largest payouts in Malaysia’s legal history. The sum includes daily compensation of 10,000 ringgit from the date of the abduction until the pastor’s whereabouts are revealed. The court also instructed the authorities to reopen investigations to determine what happened to him.
Pastor Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, expressed gratitude and relief after the ruling, describing it as a victory for justice and truth. She said the judgment brought “vindication and closure” to her family, even though it could not bring her husband back. Liew dedicated the court victory to her husband and all victims of enforced disappearances in Malaysia.
Investigations into the disappearance had previously concluded that elite police officers from the Special Branch were behind the abduction, driven by extremist views. Koh was allegedly targeted for suspected proselytising to Muslims, an accusation his family denied.
The court also found the state responsible for the similar abduction of activist Amri Che Mat, who disappeared in late 2016. His wife, Norhayati, was awarded about 3 million ringgit in damages. She expressed ongoing grief, noting that questions about her husband’s fate remain unanswered.
The judgment is being hailed as a historic milestone for human rights in Malaysia, holding the state accountable for enforced disappearances and setting a new precedent for justice and transparency.
