Pastor Koh's wife hails court's vindication, urges govt to act

Pastor Raymond Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, has expressed gratitude for the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s latest verdict on her husband’s abduction, hailing it as vindicating the struggles of those who have been silenced and wronged by abuse of power.

Earlier today, judge Su Tiang Joo ordered the government to pay RM10,000 per day to Koh via a trust account until the pastor is found. The payments will be counted from 3,187 days ago, on Feb 13, 2017, when Koh was abducted.

“This judgment validates not only the suffering of one family, but the broader struggle of all those who have been silenced, disappeared, or wronged by the abuse of power.

“We cannot overemphasise our thankfulness and gratefulness to our God for what He has done today,” said Liew.

“Today marks a historic and emotional milestone for the Koh family, our legal team, civil society, and all Malaysians who have stood with us in pursuit of truth and justice. The court has delivered an unprecedented decision that affirms what we have long believed - that Koh was a victim of a grave injustice.

“After nearly nine years of the loss of a husband and father, anguish, and uncertainty, the judgment brings long-awaited vindication,” she added.

Liew further called upon the government to act on the High Court’s latest verdict, and on previous Suhakam and special task force findings.

Order for investigation to reopen

The court today urged the government to establish a royal commission of inquiry and investigate all individuals named in the previously established special task force.

It also called for another special task force to be established within the police, separate from the Special Branch, to further investigate all persons linked to the disappearance of Koh, Amri Che Mat, alongside pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu.

In his verdict today, Su ordered the police to reopen the case investigation and report their progress to the attorney-general every two months, and further awarded RM4 million in damages for the pastors as well as RM250,000 in costs.

Su also found that the primary act of Koh’s abduction pointed to the state’s participation, and that the circumstances surrounding the abduction, as well as the concealment of information and similarities with Amri’s disappearance, cumulatively support the plaintiff’s case.

‘The darkest of times’

In her statement today, Koh’s wife also expressed disappointment over the government’s previous inaction, especially after findings from a previous Suhakam inquiry.

In 2019, the public inquiry ruled that Amri and Koh, who vanished in 2016 and 2017 respectively, were victims of enforced disappearance perpetrated by members of the Special Branch from Bukit Aman.

Koh, 62, had been abducted by a group of men along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya while on his way to a friend’s house. CCTV footage, believed to be of the incident, showed at least 15 men and three black SUVs involved in Koh’s abduction.

Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi responded to Suhakam’s findings by denying that he had ordered the abductions when overseeing the police force throughout his tenure as the home minister at the time.

Today, Liew further thanked the counsel and several NGOs for their “unwavering efforts” to seek justice for her husband, and who often “spoke out to defend the truth and seek answers”.

“We thank all Malaysians, human rights defenders, and international supporters who have stood with us. Your solidarity sustained us through the darkest of times,” she added.

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