The government has officially withdrawn its appeal against a High Court decision allowing the family of Pastor Raymond Koh to access a confidential report linked to his disappearance. The move was confirmed at the Court of Appeal today, marking a significant development in the long-running case.
Senior Federal Counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid informed the court that a notice to withdraw the appeal had recently been filed. A three-member bench comprising Datuk Supang Lian, Datuk Ismail Brahim, and K Muniandy subsequently struck out the appeal and ordered the government to pay RM15,000 in costs to Koh’s family.
Earlier, Nurul Farhana had urged the court not to impose any costs on the government. However, lawyer Michelle Wong opposed the request, highlighting the extensive effort undertaken in responding to the appeal. She also pointed out that an application to introduce fresh evidence had been filed just last month, reinforcing the family’s position.
The case has drawn widespread attention, reflecting ongoing public interest in unresolved disappearance cases in Malaysia. Legal observers note that transparency and accountability remain central concerns as the matter continues to unfold.
On 5 November last year, the High Court awarded RM37 million in damages to Koh—who has been missing for nine years—and his wife, Susanna Liew. In his judgment, Justice Datuk Su Tiang Joo held the government and police liable for Koh’s disappearance, who was abducted on 13 February 2017.
The court further found that one or more defendants, including serving and former police officers, were involved in the abduction and had acted under instructions issued at the time. Despite the ruling, the High Court later allowed the government’s application on 26 January to stay the execution of the damages payment.
Pastor Raymond Koh, founder of NGO Harapan Komuniti, was kidnapped by a group of armed men while driving along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya en route to a friend’s house, in an incident that has remained unresolved for nearly a decade.
