100 DAYS ...and still missing
PETALING JAYA: Today marks 100 days since the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh with police no closer to solving the case. On the morning of Feb 13, the 62year-old was abducted by a group of masked men less than 100m from a police housing complex in SS4, Kelana Jaya. Video footage from CCTVs in the area showed seven vehicles, including three black fourwheel drive vehicles, forcing his car to a stop in the middle of the road.
The drivers then used their vehicles to box in Koh’s car and
prevent him from driving off.
A few of the masked men are seen swarming Koh’s car while their accomplices, including at least two on motorcycles, ensured no onlookers intervened.
Less than a minute later, Koh is apparently overpowered and his car bearing registration plate ST5515D is seen being driven away, with the other abductors following hurriedly.
A hundred days on, Koh’s family, his church members, the public and even the police remain in the dark as to his whereabouts or even who his abductors were.
The police had set up a special task force to investigate the abduction but Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said investigations were being hindered by media coverage.
When contacted by theSun, Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat, who heads the task force, said police are working hard on the case. However, he declined to elaborate.
The fact that Koh has been missing for 100 days is a worrying situation for Malaysians, said Parit Buntar MP Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
“This begs the question of our (country’s) security. For a person to be kidnapped in broad daylight and the police having yet to find a single clue on his disappearance to this day is a bit worrying. Surely, by now police must know what happened to him,” he said.
In March, what seemed like a credible lead emerged when a taxi driver was arrested by police in connection with the abduction.
However, the suspect was found to be trying to blackmail the pastor’s family and was not involved in the incident.
To date, there has been no ransom demand for Koh’s release. His family have offered a RM100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.
It was reported that Koh and his non-governmental organisation, “Haparan Komuniti”, were accused of proselytising Muslims, following a raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department at a Thanksgiving dinner in 2011.
Thousands of Malaysians gathered for candlelight vigils all over the country in the months since his abduction.
“Since he was taken away from us, my children and I have swung between feelings of numbness, despair, hope, sadness, fear and anger,” said his wife, Susanna Liew.
Compounding this is the frustration that there has been no significant breakthrough in efforts to find him, she added.
More vigils have been planned until Koh’s return as the whole nation is hoping and praying that he will be found safe.