Malaysia launches fresh probe into activists’ abductions after court ruling

Malaysia has launched a new police investigation into the abductions of two social activists who vanished nearly a decade ago after a landmark court ruling found the government and police liable for their disappearances – a decision officials are now seeking to overturn.

The Home Ministry said on Thursday that a new investigation team led by an assistant commissioner of police had been formed in the wake of last week’s ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which found authorities responsible for the disappearances of Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.

Koh, a Christian pastor known for his charity work through the organisation Harapan Komuniti, was abducted in broad daylight on February 13, 2017, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Amri, a Muslim social activist from Perlis, disappeared on November 24, 2016, when his vehicle was intercepted by three others.

Neither man has been seen since.

The new investigation team was formed in the immediate aftermath of the court ruling, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

“As the court had ordered the police to reopen investigations … police immediately formed a team and investigations are already ongoing,” Saifuddin said during Minister’s Question Time in parliament on Thursday.