Four Years Since Pastor Raymond Koh was Abducted
This week marks four years since the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh.
On February 13, 2017, CCTV captured footage of Raymond being lured out of his car by a group of men in black sedans in his hometown in Malaysia. He has not been heard from since. At the time, Pastor Koh was under scrutinization for his religious activities, specifically proselytizing to Malay Muslims. Such activity is illegal.
Since his abduction, Raymond’s wife Susanna and their three children have worked tirelessly to advocate for their missing husband and father. Despite ongoing advocacy, and promises from the government, there has been little progress.
When the police originally began the investigation, they quickly turned it on its head. In addition to investigating the disappearance, they informed the Koh family that they would also be investigating the reports of Raymond’s evangelistic activities. Following this, their work on the abduction yielded no results.
More recently, the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) conducted a public enquiry into the disappearance of Pastor Koh. In its final decisions, SUHAKAM determined Raymond was a victom of enforced disappearance carried out by agents of the state, namely the Special Branch, an intelligence unit affiliated with the Malaysian Police. As a result, the government formed a special Task Force to investigate the matter and establish Raymond’s whereabouts.
The task force was scheduled to publish a report with the findings of its investigations within six months of its creation. It has now been thirteen months, and no report has been published.
Susanna Koh continues to advocate on her husband’s behalf. As we mark the four-year anniversary of his disappearance, we ask that you continue to pray for Susanna, her family, and for Raymond’s safe return.
Open Doors Canada was able to interview Susanna and ask her about how Canadian Christians can support her in this time. Listen to this interview on the World Watch Weekly podcast.
