Some 150 gathered amid rain and song in Kuala Lumpur last night in solidarity of four Malaysians who have gone missing, including the abducted pastor Raymond Koh.

They held a candlelight vigil near Dataran Merdeka at about 8.30pm last night for Koh, as well as pastor Joshua Hilmy and wife Ruth Hilmy, and Perlis Hope activist Amri Che Mat, all of whom have gone missing in separate incidents.

It started drizzling midway through the vigil, but this did not deter the participants from staying, even though few had brought umbrellas or rain coats with them.

Between sobs, Koh’s wife Susanna Liew urged those present to keep praying for the four’s safe return, and to keep their memory alive.

She also expressed disappointment that the police had launched investigations against the four with no results to date.

“I’m sad and disappointed ... No matter what these four have done, they cannot be abducted in broad daylight.

“There is no justification, no excuse, for this,” she said.

Among the speakers at the vigil was former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, who urged the four to the returned by Easter, which falls next weekend.

She said these four were merely ordinary people trying to help the poor and needy.

“Of course, there are a lot of allegations (against them). If you say they have done something wrong, charge them. I plead to those who are holding them, release them […]."

Ambiga said such accusations are unfair, since the four could not defend themselves from the allegations since they are missing.

“This is something you wouldn’t want to wish upon your worst enemies.

"If anyone does anything illegal, they must be charged and brought to justice no matter how much you don’t like what they do,” she said.

Vigil progresses smoothly

The vigil hosted by the human rights group Suaram ended at about 9.30pm with the singing of ‘Sejahtera Malaysia’.

Also present were observers from the Bar Council and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

The police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement personnel kept watch on the vigil but did not intervene, and directed traffic in the vicinity.

Joshua and Ruth were reported missing since November last year. Amri reportedly went missing in last November.

Koh was abducted from his car on Feb 13 this year while driving along Jalan SS4B/10, Petaling Jaya.

The disappearances of the four is widely speculated to be kidnappings related to religious motives, although police have warned the public to refrain from such speculation.

The fate of the four remain a unkown.