In a landmark ruling that has captured national attention, Malaysia’s High Court has declared that Pastor Raymond Koh, who vanished eight years ago, was forcibly disappeared by state authorities. The decision marks the first time in Malaysian history that a court has held the government and police responsible for an enforced disappearance.
Pastor Koh was abducted in February 2017 in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur by a group of masked men. The dramatic incident, captured on CCTV and witnessed by bystanders, showed his car being surrounded and taken away in broad daylight. His whereabouts remain unknown.
The court ordered the Malaysian government and police to pay more than 31 million ringgit (£5.7m; $7.4m) in damages to Koh’s family the largest sum ever awarded in a Malaysian legal case.
In an emotional address following the verdict, Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, expressed gratitude and relief. “We are overjoyed and thankful to God that we have a fair and honest judgement,” she said. “Though this will not bring Pastor Raymond back, it brings some closure and vindication for our family.”
She dedicated the victory to her husband and to “all victims of enforced disappearances.”
Koh’s abduction, along with the disappearance of activist Amri Che Mat around the same time, has long fueled public debate in Malaysia. Both cases prompted investigations by Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission and the government. The findings suggested that the elite Special Branch police unit was behind the abductions, targeting individuals perceived as threats to mainstream Islam in the Muslim-majority nation.
This ruling is now seen as a watershed moment for human rights in Malaysia, raising hopes that enforced disappearances will no longer go unpunished.
