Day 1

10:30-10:45am
Raymond Koh is abducted while driving at Jalan SS 4B/10 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia by a convoy of vehicles.

Day 2

12:20am
Jonathan Koh lodges a missing person report at Kelana Jaya Police Station.

Day 10

Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar (“IGP Khalid”) tells the press that the police have set up a task force, headed by Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat (“SAC Fadzil”), to investigate into the abduction of Raymond Koh.

Day 15

5:25pm
Jonathan Koh lodges a second police report based on Section 364 of the Penal Code, kidnapping with intention to murder.

Day 22

3:45-5:10pm
Responding to repeated requests from Raymond Koh’s family and public pressure, SAC Fadzil and other police officers meet with Susanna Liew and Jonathan Koh to update them on the investigations.

During the update meeting, SAC Fadzil told Susanna and Jonathan that the police had no significant leads. Instead, SAC Fadzil asked them to not speak with the media. Both Susanna and Jonathan were not allowed to bring in legal counsel or advisors to accompany them during this meeting with the police.

Day 36

At a media event, IGP Khalid admits that the police investigation into Raymond Koh’s abduction is at a stalemate, while lashing out at the media: “To the media, individuals and NGOs who want to get involved in kidnap cases, shut your bloody mouth; you are putting the victim in a high degree of danger”.

Subsequent to this outburst, IGP Khalid’s representative calls Susanna’s lawyer to arrange a meeting with the family.

Day 39

11:00am-12:00pm

Susanna, Jonathan, Esther, Elizabeth, Philip Koh, Dato’ Lee Hwa Beng, attend a meeting with IGP Khalid and other senior police officers, SAC Fadzil Ahmat, Bukit Aman CID Director Dato Seri Mohd Salleh and Deputy CPO DCP Dato’ Mohd Fuad in Chynna, Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

At this meeting, Susanna presents her letter addressed to IGP Khalid, in which she passes several copies to the other officers present. The letter summarizes the family’s concerns and queries about the police investigations and public statements by senior police officers. Susanna’s other request to IGP Khalid is to ensure that Raymond’s abduction not be used by religious authorities or any other parties as an excuse to “harass, investigate and prosecute” the family, friends, colleagues, associates and stakeholders of Raymond Koh. Instead, she urges the police to focus on Raymond’s known antagonists.

In response, IGP Khalid tells the family to not speak with the press as “this makes things difficult…” He repeats his request for “no more media statements” and “no more candlelight vigils”.

Day 50

7:30-10:30pm

An Ecumenical Solidarity Prayer Service to commemorate 50 days since Raymond’s abduction is held at the Sungai Way Subang Methodist Church (“SSMC”) in Petaling Jaya. Attendees include the various heads of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist churches and pastors and leaders of Malaysia from most of the other Christian denominations.

A press release is issued the next morning, 5 April.

Day 51

Berita Harian, a Malay-language daily, publishes an article on its print edition, headlined: “Siasatan tumpu cubaan murtad remaja Islam” [“Investigation Focuses on Attempts to Apostatize Muslim Teenagers”].

The article reports that in addition to the ongoing police investigation into Raymond’s abduction, new police investigation will focus on allegations that Raymond Koh had proselytized two Muslim teenagers in Malaysia’s northern state Perlis. Allegedly, two unnamed teenagers had lodged a police report in Kangar, Perlis about an encounter with Raymond apparently happening on 19 and 20 January 2017. The news article quotes IGP Khalid: “We have received reports that a few individuals, who include Koh and a pastor from Singapore, attempted to spread Christianity in the north. The police are taking this matter seriously and are now investigating and trying to locate these individuals.”

The family was not briefed by the police regarding such report.

Day 52

Berita Harian releases an online version of the print article their website the next day.

According to the online article, unnamed police sources confirm that Raymond Koh and ‘his associates’ are being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code. The article also quotes this police source as confirming that the police are focused on locating the two individuals, teenagers that claim to be with Raymond Koh when he allegedly tried to proselytize them in January. The article also quotes IGP Khalid as claiming that a pastor from Singapore and two individuals from Sarawak and Indonesia were also implicated in this investigation.

The article also claims that this ‘proselytizing’ investigation is being conducted by the Special Task Force that IGP Khalid announced on 22 February as being set up ostensibly to find Raymond Koh.

Note: To date, the Malaysian police have not updated Raymond Koh’s family or the public on these claims made by IGP Khalid. Raymond Koh’s family have since reiterated that no one from the Malaysian police had previously updated any of them of these police reports or alleged activities, which IGP Khalid has claimed happened in January 2017, a month before Raymond Koh’s abduction

Day 66

A coalition of Malaysian civil society groups, led by SUARAM, submits a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) on behalf of the families of four missing Malaysians believed to have been victims of enforced disappearance: Raymond Koh, Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth, and social worker and Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat.

Day 67

SUHAKAM chairman Razali Ismail announces in a press statement that the commission will be launching its independent investigation into the four missing Malaysians, in line with its statutory mandate.

Day 81

Susanna attends the press conference organised by CAGED, a coalition of NGOs, formed specifically to champion the cause of abducted/missing Raymond Koh, Amri Che Mat, Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Siteptu.

The press conference’s main spokespersons are Thomas Fann and Sevan Doraisamy. At this news conference, Thomas Fann is quoted as saying that they assume that these abductions are possible cases of “enforced disappearance”.

Day 90

The family of Raymond Koh submits an Urgent Action appeal to the UN WGEID, to report his abduction as a suspected case of “enforced disappearance” as defined by the UN General Assembly’s 1992 ‘Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances’.

This appeal is submitted to the UN WGEID on behalf of the Koh family by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), with FIDH member organisation SUARAM.

Day 92

Thomas Fann informs the media that the police have called him, Sevan Doraisamy and CAGED representative R. Rama to be present at the Bukit Aman Police HQ for questioning on 24 May. This is in connection to investigations being conducted on them under Section 505B of the Penal Code, which relates to statements of public mischief.

Day 100

In conjunction with 100 days since the abduction of Raymond Koh, Susanna Liew, her daughters and other advisors hold a media session with journalists. Also present as spokespersons are Thomas Fann and Sevan Doraisamy, from CAGED.

During this media session, Susanna makes her feelings clear about how disappointed she is with the police so far, especially in the way they have not updated the family on the investigations and that she cannot rule out the possibility that Raymond may be a case of enforced disappearance.

Day 101

Various media outlets quote IGP Khalid’s remarks at a police press event in Bukit Aman, the day after Susanna’s media session. In response to questions from the press, IGP Khalid claim that the police had arrested a suspect “in the north last week” in connection with Raymond’s abduction. He did not disclose anything else about this unnamed suspect. Instead, he warns “certain parties” to not make baseless allegations: “We are not sitting on the case. We have never stopped investigating his abduction and efforts to locate him are ongoing” – from Star Online, 24 May 2017

Note: To date, the Malaysian police have not updated Raymond Koh’s family or the public on this undated “arrest” of an unnamed suspect, detained “in the north”.

Day 101

Three activists Thomas Fann, Sevan Doraisamy and R. Rama (from the coalition CAGED), accompanied by lawyer Ramkarpal Singh, record their statements at Bukit Aman Police HQ. After this, they address the media outside Bukit Aman. Fann notes that the questions posed to the activists by the police included a query if the activists were instructed by foreign parties to form CAGED to advocate on the issue of the abductions.

Day 114

Susanna Liew, all the Koh children and a few advisors attend a meeting with SUHAKAM Commissioners in their office in KL. Susanna hands over a letter addressed to SUHAKAM Chairman Razali Ismail, welcoming SUHAKAM’s investigation into the abductions of Raymond Koh and others.

Day 124

SUHAKAM issues a press statement reiterating that the commission is investigating the abductions, and requesting that parties with relevant information come forward to record their statements with the commission.

The press statement ends with this call to the authorities: “Notwithstanding SUHAKAM’s investigation, the Commission calls on the authorities to fully and expeditiously investigate all cases where there is a reasonable suspicion that an enforced disappearance may have occurred.”

Day 133

Various media report IGP Khalid as saying that a police operation in Kedah and Perak on 17 June led the police to new leads related to the Raymond Koh abduction:

“When we raided the house of the suspect in Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, we arrested his wife and seized more drugs, believed to be syabu, as well as a cache of ammunition of various calibre, and a pipe bomb. We also seized various pictures, including one of a house in Prima 16 which is believed to be the house of the missing pastor.There were also pictures of two vehicles believed to be owned by the pastor, and licence plates bearing the number ST5515D.”

IGP Khalid made this claim at an Eid ul Fitr event in the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur.

Note: Following this incident on 17 June, the Kedah state police had initially held a press conference on 18 June to announce details about a pre-dawn police shootout with a suspect in Kampung Weng/ Ulu Lenggong, near the town of Baling in Kedah. This till-now-unnamed suspect was killed by the police in this shootout. During this 18 June press conference, the Kedah police referenced the search they made on the dead suspect’s car and home after the shootout and listed down in detail the items they found during these searches: a semi-automatic pistol, 40g of heroin, two sets of vehicle number plates with the plate numbers WNS5168 and BNW217, a homemade pipe bomb, bullets and 250g of the illegal drug syabu. There was no mention of any photos or any evidence linked to Raymond Koh or his car on 18 June.

Day 134

Susanna Liew issues a media statement in response to IGP Khalid’s statements on 25 June:

“I refer to several media reports yesterday quoting Malaysia’s Inspector- General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar about developments in the abduction case of my husband Raymond Koh Keng Joo, who was abducted 134 days ago in Petaling Jaya on 13th February 2017. Tan Sri Khalid seems to have made this announcement while hosting a Hari Raya Open House at Bukit Aman Police Headquarters yesterday, 25th June. In his remarks, he referred to a police operation on 17th June in Kedah.

As with the previous announcements made by IGP Khalid to the media about my husband’s abduction on April 6th and May 24th, I have not been briefed about any of these so-called developments, leads or arrests by the police. Like the rest of Malaysia, all I know is what I have read in the media.

I hope that the police will contact me soon to arrange a meeting and to give me a proper update about my husband’s case. This update should also include a full explanation about the announcements they made on April 6th and May 24th. Past meetings that they had invited me to attend on March 6th and March 23rd were less about actual updates about the case and more about asking me to not engage with the media and to not attend public vigils and gatherings.

I also urge the police to cooperate with the investigation being conducted by SUHAKAM and to update them as well.”

Note: Raymond Koh’s family also forwarded this press statement to the police. To date, there has been no response.

Day 145

Susanna Liew submits an official complaint to SUHAKAM, along with other relevant documents related to her husband Raymond Koh’s abduction.

Day 163

At a morning press event in the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, IGP Khalid publicly remarks that the police now believe that Raymond Koh was abducted by parties linked to a human trafficking syndicate in South Thailand.

IGP Khalid references his previous 25 June claim that a police shootout on 17 June (when the police killed a suspected arms and drugs smuggler) yielded clues linking this dead suspect and his three unnamed associates to Raymond Koh’s abduction:
“Following the detention of the three last month, we believe the same group has links to another group in the southern region of Thailand and police are now cooperating with their counterparts in Thailand.”

Day 163

In response to IGP Khalid’s claims, a spokesperson for Raymond Koh’s family makes a brief statement to the media, while re-issuing Susanna Liew’s 26 June statement: “On behalf of Raymond Koh’s family, I refer to IGP Khalid’s remarks as reported in the Star this morning, July 25. In response, attached is the 26th June 2017 statement by Susanna Liew. The facts remain the same, unfortunately. There has been no effort on the part of the police to reach out to the family to arrange for a proper update.”

Note: To date, the police have not reached out to Raymond Koh’s family to update them on any of these public claims made by IGP Khalid about the case or any other developments.

Day 163

CAGED representatives R. Rama and Sevan Doraisamy are quoted in an article in the Malaysian Insight responding to the public claims made by IGP Khalid earlier that day. Both activists raise queries about why a human trafficking syndicate would abduct a 62-year old pastor and why IGP Khalid chooses to not update Raymond Koh’s family at all about all these developments.

Day 178

SUHAKAM announces that the commission will conduct a public inquiry into the disappearances of four Malaysians: Pastor Raymond Koh, social activist Amri Che Mat, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Hilmi. The public hearings are tentatively scheduled to commence in October 2017.

Day 185

IGP Khalid is quoted in the media saying that the probe into Raymond Koh’s abduction is “ongoing” but they need more time: “The probe is ongoing but we need some time because we are in the midst of getting some information from the Thai police.”

Day 200

To date, aside from the 6 March and 23 March meetings, the police have not formally met with or briefed Raymond Koh’s family on any of these claims made by IGP Khalid to the press. The last formal position of IGP Khalid to Susanna Liew and her children at their 23 March meeting was that the police had no significant leads and that public statements and media interactions were negatively impacting police investigations.

NOTE: IGP Khalid retires on September 5, in accordance with mandatory retirement when he turns 60.

Day 248

Public Inquiry by Suhakam starts. Panelists include Datuk Mah Weng Kwai (chairman), Prof Datuk Dr. Aishah Bidin and Dr Nik Salida Nik Saleh. Inquiry dates are as follows, October 19-20, October 30, November 2-3 and November 13-17, November 20 and 21.

Day 263

Celebrating Raymond ‘s 63rd birthday at the Suhakam hearing during lunch break.

SUHAKAM inquiry haltered