THE government has reaffirmed that police investigations into the enforced disappearances of activist Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh remain ongoing, with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail insisting that both cases have never been closed.
“Investigations have never stopped… the police have never closed these cases,” he said at a press conference following the closing ceremony of the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Symposium.
Responding to the court order requiring the police to produce Pastor Koh and the potential consequences for failing to comply, Saifuddin said the government acknowledged the ruling, including the daily penalty imposed.
“The amount and implications of the payments to Amri’s family and Raymond Koh’s family have been communicated and are being handled through the proper channels. The AGC has filed an appeal because it involves substantial financial implications. While we respect the court decision, we will allow the appeal process to run its course,” he said.
Amri disappeared on 24 November 2016, while Pastor Koh was abducted on 13 February 2017.
On 5 November, the High Court ordered the government to pay RM3,264,457.52, including interest and costs, to Amri’s wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin.
In a separate ruling, the court also ordered more than RM37 million in damages to Pastor Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, after finding the government and police liable for his disappearance.
On Tuesday, Susanna applied for a court order to have the more than RM30 million awarded to her deposited into a trust account managed by her appointed law firm, following Judge Datuk Su Tiang Joo’s decision on 5 November.
The order requires the government and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to pay RM10,000 per day (amounting to RM32.1 million), RM1 million in aggravated damages and RM1 million in exemplary damages from the date of Raymond’s abduction until his whereabouts are revealed.
Her application proposed two alternative trust holders—PB Trustee Services and Amanah Raya Berhad—should the court decline her preferred choice, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates.
In her supporting affidavit, Susanna noted that the court had directed that damages must be placed in an interest-bearing trust account managed by a designated individual or institution, whose details must be submitted to the court until Pastor Koh is found or his fate officially disclosed.
With the agreement of her children, Jonathan Koh Szu Hao, 41, Esther Koh Sze Ern, 40, and Elizabeth Koh Sze Wei, 29, she sought the appointment of Jerald Gomez & Associates, noting that Datuk Jerald Gomez had represented the family pro bono since the 2017 SUHAKAM inquiry into her husband’s disappearance.
During case management, Senior Federal Counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid informed the court that the government required time to respond as it had received the application only the previous day.
She indicated that objections would be raised, particularly concerning financial implications and legal questions related to the appointment of the trustee.
Judge Su Tiang Joo fixed 8 December to hear the application, ordering both sides to file affidavits in reply.
When allowing Susanna’s suit, Tiang Joo held that one or more defendants—comprising serving and former police officers—were involved in Pastor Koh’s abduction and acted “pursuant to an instruction” eight years ago.
Pastor Koh, founder of the NGO Harapan Komuniti, was kidnapped by armed men while driving in Petaling Jaya on 13 February 2017 and has now been missing for 3,188 days.
The court also ordered PDRM to reopen its investigation based on the findings of the Special Task Force, submitting reports to the Attorney General’s Chambers every two months.
Additionally, the Inspector-General of Police was directed to remove four officers previously involved in the investigation and replace them with personnel unconnected to the case.
In his judgment, Tiang Joo concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, at least one defendant had directly or indirectly taken part in Pastor Koh’s abduction and enforced disappearance. - December 3, 2025
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