Wife of Malaysian pastor abducted in 2017 wins suit, awarded S$9.7 million

KUALA LUMPUR: In a landmark decision, the High Court decided in favour of the wives of a Malaysian Christian pastor and a Muslim activist whose husbands went missing eight years ago.

The court found that the authorities were involved in the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh in 2017, as well as Amri Che Mat in November 2016. The High Court has held the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian government liable for the disappearance of the two men.

On Wednesday (Nov 5), Mr Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, was awarded at least RM31 million (S$9.7 million) in damages. Mr Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohamad Ariffin, meanwhile, was awarded RM3 million (S$936,000).

The judge ordered that RM10,000 (S$3,121) in damages be paid for each day of Mr Koh’s disappearance, beginning from the day he was taken until the day that his location is revealed, aside from the millions of ringgit awarded to Ms Liew due to emotional distress.

Ms Norhayati, meanwhile, had sued for lesser offences than Ms Liew.

This is the first time that Malaysia has rendered such a judgment, as well as the largest amount in damages awarded in the country’s legal history. However, the country’s Attorney General’s Chambers announced that it will be lodging appeals on both rulings.

After the judgment was read, Ms Liew, who has long said that she believes the police had been responsible for her husband’s disappearance, said that for her family, the ruling was a “historic and emotional milestone.”

“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,” she told journalists, adding, ”We dedicate this struggle and judgement to Pastor Raymond Koh, a man of compassion and courage, and to all victims of enforced disappearances.”

Ms Norhayati, meanwhile, said, “The feeling of sadness remains because questions about Amri’s whereabouts, whether he is alive, dead, or in good health, are all still unanswered. We sincerely hope that those responsible will be held accountable for what they have done.”

Four abductions

On February 13, 2017, in central Selangor, the abduction of Mr Koh was captured on CCTV. He was seen being nabbed by a group of men in masks in broad daylight, and has not been seen since then. Onlookers present at the time also witnessed the pastor being taken.

According to his family, prior to his abduction, he had been receiving death threats because he had reportedly been proselytising to Muslims, although his family has denied that he had been doing this.

The circumstances around Mr Amri’s disappearance were similar to Mr Koh’s. It is believed that he was abducted for allegedly sharing Shiite teachings. This is forbidden in Malaysia, where only the Sunni branch of Islam is recognised.

Six days after Mr Amri was taken in 2016, Joshua Hilmi, a Malaysian, and his wife Ruth Sitepu, an Indonesian national, also disappeared mysteriously. Both had converted from Islam to Christianity, and Mr Hilmi had been working as a pastor when they disappeared. /TISG

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