One year after abduction, pastor’s wife hopes for CNY reunion
13th Feb 2018
PETALING JAYA: The wife of Raymond Koh today questioned the charge of kidnapping against a former part-time Uber driver, exactly a year from the day her husband went missing after being abducted by a group of men in Petaling Jaya.
Susanna Liew said her family was “totally shocked” at the suspension of the public inquiry convened by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) into her husband’s case, after the police announced that Lam Chang Nam had been charged with kidnapping Koh.
“Why is he being charged with kidnapping now, after a lapse of several months and just a day before the inquiry resumed?
“If he really is involved, then he should know where Raymond is now. Bring him out and let the perpetrators be apprehended and justice served.”
On Jan 16, Suhakam said it had no choice but to stop investigating the disappearance of Koh, based on a provision that the subject matter of the inquiry should not be part of any court proceeding.
Lam had in 2017 been charged with extorting Koh’s son, Jonathan, of RM30,000 for the purpose of releasing his father.
The family’s lawyers had questioned the move to charge him after he was cleared by the police of any involvement in the abduction.
Liew said it was the family’s hope that there would be a just court case that would not drag on “indefinitely”, but expressed disappointment over the absence of information surrounding her husband’s plight.
“We are met with silence, silence and more silence,” she said.
“Even though we have been disappointed many times, we still hope there are policemen who will continue to work with integrity and professionalism in bringing these criminals to justice.”
Liew is still holding on to hope that her husband will be be released so that they can be reunited this Chinese New Year.
“His mother is ailing and has not seen him for a year,” she added.
The Suhakam inquiry, which resumes next month, is to establish whether the disappearance of Koh and three others – Pastor Joshua Hilmy, his wife Ruth and Perlis activist Amri Che Mat – were cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances as defined by the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim meanwhile questioned the police investigation into Koh’s abduction, saying a year had passed and the pastor was still missing.
“Our police intelligence is said to be one of the best in the world; yet one year after a Malaysian was abducted in such chilling manner in broad daylight in the city, we have yet to resolve the case.
“In fact, other cases of disappeared persons have emerged following Koh’s,” he said in a statement.
“If such incident can happen to a harmless and charitable person such as Koh, it can happen to anyone.”
Koh, 63, was abducted from his car by a group of more than 10 men in a convoy of vehicles on Feb 13 last year.
CCTV footage showed at least three black SUVs were involved in the abduction. Many speculated that his abduction might have been connected to his alleged attempts to spread Christianity, although his family has dismissed such claims.
Find more on the article here:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/02/13/one-year-after-abduction-pastors-wife-hopes-for-cny-reunion/