When Susanna Liew addressed the media at Kuala Lumpur's High Court last month, she described the occasion as a "historic and emotional milestone." "Today... the High Court has delivered a judgment of what we have long believed: that Pastor Raymond Koh was a victim of a grave injustice," the 69-year-old announced, her voice tremulous with emotion. Her pronouncement marked a remarkable legal triumph in a perplexing case that ranks among Malaysia's most significant mysteries.
Nearly nine years ago, in broad daylight, her husband was abducted by masked men, an event captured on CCTV that captured the nation's attention. The high court ultimately concluded that the elite Special Branch of the police was responsible for Raymond Koh's taking and deemed both the police and Malaysian government accountable for the very first enforced disappearance case tried in court.
Ms. Liew, once an ordinary pastor's wife, became a passionate advocate over the years, striving to uncover her husband's fate. Although she might never fully understand why her husband was seized, two independent inquiries revealed that police perceived him as a threat to Islam, Malaysia's predominant faith. Shortly after her judicial victory, she told the BBC of her commitment to justice: "A voice [inside me] saidā¦ 'So they took him in secret - I will let the whole world know.'
Watch: CCTV captures moment pastor Raymond Koh is abducted
On the morning of February 13, 2017, Mr. Koh left home to meet friends. As the 63-year-old exited his house in a peaceful Kuala Lumpur suburb, a convoy of SUVs and motorcycles emerged, intercepting his vehicle. Masked individuals in black smashed his car window, quickly removing and abducting him, along with his vehicle. The entire ordeal was over in moments, misleading a witness driving behind Mr. Koh into believing it was a staged movie scene.
In the ensuing days, Mr. Koh's children searched for leads on their father's disappearance, eventually discovering surveillance footage from two local homes. Viewing the footage, the family realized it was no ordinary abduction; it was carefully orchestrated without a ransom or captor contact. Months earlier, a similar occurrence happened to activist Amri Che Mat in Perlis.
Upon going public, the CCTV footage went viral, compelling the Malaysian human rights commission to investigate. This was joined by a subsequent government probe. Speculation abounded that the Special Branch was involved, although police initially deflected by urging the public to remain silent for the sake of their investigation. Despite attributing the crime to a drug gang and arresting an Uber driverālater cleared of chargesāboth leads were dismissed by the rights commission as implausible.
During Mr. Koh's prolonged disappearance, the ordeal weighed heavily on his family. Ms. Liew supported her family by selling jewelry while using her savings and donations to send her youngest daughter to university.