Malaysia's government and police have been ordered to pay millions in compensation to the family of a pastor who was abducted more than eight years ago.
Raymond Koh, then aged 62, was abducted in broad daylight on the morning of 13 February 2017 while driving his car in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur. He has not been seen since. CCTV footage from the time appears to show more than eight masked men in black surrounding the car.
In 2020, his wife Susanna sued the government and several senior police officers for negligence in their police investigation. On 5 November 2025, the Malaysian High Court ruled that the government and the police were liable for Raymond’s abduction; and that at least one police officer was involved.
The government has been ordered to pay 10,000 Malaysian Ringgit (about £1,825) per day to the Koh family, from the day of the abduction until Raymond is found. The cumulative total so far exceeds £5.8m. Susanna has been awarded the equivalent of a further £593,100 for delays and repeated postponements to the court case.
The judge also ordered the police to reopen their investigation and report back to the Attorney General every two months.
After the judgment, Susanna said: "We are overjoyed and thankful to God that we have a fair and honest judgment. Though this will not bring Pastor Raymond back, it is somewhat a vindication and closure for the family."
A public inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia found that Special Branch, an intelligence unit affiliated with the Malaysian police force, targeted Raymond specifically for his religious activities. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom also says he was “forcibly disappeared for his religious activity and humanitarian work”.
