The Disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh

The abduction in Petaling Jaya

Raymond Koh, a Christian pastor and founder of the community organisation Harapan Komuniti, disappeared on February 13, 2017 while driving in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. CCTV footage showed a highly coordinated operation in which vehicles surrounded his car and masked men in dark tactical clothing removed him in less than a minute.

The speed and organisation of the abduction immediately distinguished the case from an ordinary missing-person report. Koh's family pressed for answers while the police investigation drew intense public scrutiny. His whereabouts have remained unknown ever since.

SUHAKAM's public inquiry

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, SUHAKAM, conducted a public inquiry into the disappearance. In 2019, the inquiry panel concluded that Pastor Koh had been the victim of an enforced disappearance carried out by agents of the state, specifically identifying the Special Branch of Bukit Aman in its findings.

That conclusion is an official human-rights inquiry finding, not a criminal conviction. No individual police officer has been convicted in a criminal court for Koh's abduction. Crime by Region therefore attributes the conclusion to SUHAKAM rather than converting it into a criminal verdict.

SUHAKAM's 2019 annual report recorded the panel's view that the disappearances of Koh and activist Amri Che Mat were carried out by state agents. The inquiry also made recommendations aimed at accountability, police practice and the handling of religious matters.

The classified task-force report

Questions about the investigation continued for years. A special task force was established and produced a report that was not initially disclosed to Koh's family. On August 15, 2024, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the government to provide the report to Koh's wife, Susanna Liew.

The government appealed that disclosure order. On April 1, 2026, however, it withdrew that particular appeal in the Court of Appeal. The withdrawal meant the litigation over access to the classified task-force report was no longer being pursued by the government. The court also awarded costs to Koh's family.

This disclosure dispute was separate from the later appeal over the government's civil liability for the disappearance. The two proceedings are kept distinct here because the withdrawal of one appeal did not end the broader litigation.

The 2025 High Court civil judgment

In a civil suit brought by Susanna Liew, the Kuala Lumpur High Court issued a major judgment on November 5, 2025. The court found the government and police liable in relation to Koh's enforced disappearance and failures surrounding the investigation. It awarded substantial damages and ordered measures that included a renewed investigation.

The Attorney-General's Chambers announced an appeal against that judgment. Because the ruling is being challenged, this page does not describe the civil liability findings as having exhausted appellate review.

The civil judgment also does not amount to a criminal conviction for kidnapping, abduction or murder. Civil liability is determined under a different legal standard and serves a different purpose. Koh's disappearance remains a criminal accountability question without an individual conviction.

Stays pending the government's appeal

On January 26, 2026, the High Court granted a stay of the damages award pending the government's appeal. The court reasoned that the award should not be enforced while the appeal remained unresolved.

On July 29, 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Liew against the stay and maintained the suspension of enforcement. The stay also affected the High Court's directions concerning a renewed investigation. SUHAKAM publicly expressed concern on August 4, 2026 that further delay could jeopardise evidence, witnesses and future investigative opportunities.

As of that August 4 statement, Koh had been missing for more than nine years. The government's substantive appeal against the November 2025 civil ruling had not yet produced a final outcome in the reliable material reviewed for this page.

Current status

This case is classified as Unsolved / Active Proceedings. There are significant official findings: SUHAKAM concluded that Koh was a victim of enforced disappearance by state agents, and the High Court later found the government and police civilly liable. But Pastor Raymond Koh has not been found, no individual has been criminally convicted for his abduction, and appellate proceedings over the civil judgment remain active.

The distinction is essential. The archive can report what institutions have formally found while still acknowledging what remains unresolved: Koh's present whereabouts, the complete chain of criminal responsibility and whether any future prosecution will occur.