KUALA LUMPUR – The High Court has ordered the government and police to pay over RM37 million to the family of missing Pastor Raymond Koh, holding the state accountable for its role in his abduction.
Justice Su Tiang Joo determined that one or more of the defendants, both current and former police officers, were implicated in Koh’s kidnapping, which occurred eight years ago, local media reported.
The judge affirmed that these officers acted under a specific “order” during the abduction. In addition to the compensation, the court awarded RM250,000 in costs.
Koh, who was abducted on February 13, 2017, while driving along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya, was seized by five masked men wearing black military-style outfits.
The abduction, which has since sparked widespread outrage, was followed by a lack of meaningful progress in the investigation.
Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, filed the lawsuit, accusing the police and government of failing to adequately address her husband’s disappearance and mishandling the investigation.
The court’s ruling was a significant step in holding the authorities accountable for their failure to properly investigate the case.
Furthermore, the court ordered the government to pay RM10,000 per day to Koh’s family, starting from the day of his disappearance until his whereabouts are determined.
The total damages, which include RM4 million in compensation, underscore the severity of the government’s and police’s negligence in handling the case.
In its ruling, the court noted that the abduction had the hallmarks of state involvement and drew attention to the parallels with the case of activist Amri Che Mat, who also disappeared under similar circumstances.
The court directed the police to reopen the investigation and report its progress to the Attorney General every two months.
In a separate case, the High Court has also ordered the Malaysian government and police to pay over RM3 million in damages to the family of Amri, who vanished in 2016 under mysterious circumstances.
The ruling found the authorities at fault for their failure to conduct a thorough investigation, which was deemed “unconstitutional.”
Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, filed a suit in 2019 seeking answers and compensation, relying on a report from a special task force.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) concluded in 2019 that Amri’s abduction was a case of enforced disappearance, allegedly carried out by government agents from the police’s Special Branch.
Amri was abducted on the night of November 24, 2016, after his vehicle was surrounded by three cars and five men. He has not been seen since.
Both rulings reflect growing calls for accountability regarding the enforced disappearances of activists and civil society figures, with the courts holding the state responsible for its failure to protect its citizens and investigate these high-profile cases effectively. – November 5, 2025