No one has seen Pastor Raymond since February 13, 2017. In recent years, wife Suzanne Koh has seen God’s care and precise guidance in the lives of her family.
Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh has been missing for almost seven years. It is known from surveillance camera footage that he was kidnapped in February 2017 during a military raid. The Koch family – wife Suzanne and children Jonathan, Esther and Elizabeth – still do not know the name of the kidnapper or the whereabouts of the pastor.
The trial will continue on December 12 and Thursday, December 14. So far, the only glimmer of hope for solving the case comes from the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, which found out that state police were behind the kidnapping.
Wife Suzanne has filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian police and government and legal proceedings are currently underway. At the same time, she wants to reveal Raymond’s entire biography.
In a June interview with “Open Doors” magazine, Suzanne explained her plan if the case is won: “If Raymond is alive, we will demand his release. If he’s dead, we want to know where his body is.”
Will justice prevail?
While the family will not receive full justice, they want to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. A trial could stop police from doing the same thing to anyone in the future.
Suzanne and Jonathan drew the judge’s attention to the scene of the robbery. Jonathan has been investigating his father’s disappearance for years and told the judge how the robbery happened based on surveillance footage.
In his testimony, Jonathan testified that the police told him that all the security cameras at the scene were not working on the day of the robbery.
Jonathan and his family purchased the videotape in question. Their lawyers identified surveillance cameras that were there on the day of the robbery, but authorities were unable to locate them.
Based on the last signal sent from Raymond’s cell phone, the robbery must have been caught on multiple cameras. In his testimony, Jonathan testified that the police told him that all the security cameras at the scene were not working on the day of the robbery.
The family hopes the judge will believe the robbery actually happened and justice will be served.
Death threat before kidnapping
Suzanne also took the witness stand and had her first chance to detail the events before and after the robbery to the judge.
August 26, 2011 A small package with a message written in red and a pack of cigarettes with two bullets were left at their home.
“It was a death threat against my husband,” Suzanne told the court. She reported the death threat to the police. Despite pleas, they were not told anything about the progress of the investigation, and she still does not know how the investigation into the death threat turned out.
At the hearing, she spoke of the abuse they suffered as a family when they reported Raymond’s kidnapping to the police. The questions were not about the disappearance, but about Raymond’s activities with the Harman Community. During interrogations, they wanted to know whether he was involved in evangelizing Muslims.
In addition to the disappearance, Suzanne bravely spoke through tears about her husband’s personality: “Raymond was a very loving, gentle and kind husband and father. As a pastor and social worker, he touched the lives of many people because he never hesitated to help people no matter their ethnicity, race or religion.”
Immanuel: God is with us
Suzanne and her family were able to live under God’s care in many ways. In June, God answered her prayers by assigning the case free of charge to three of the best attorneys in the field. God really is that good.
The day Suzanne decided to press charges was preceded by weeks of prayerful conversations with God. She read the story of Gideon in the Bible, and it convinced her that although we are small and insignificant, God is with us.
Just as in the battle with the Midianites Gideon laid wool before God and asked for a sign, so Susanna asked God for a sign – an eagle.
Sometimes she sees an eagle from her balcony. This vision is very significant because it reminds us of God’s presence and strengthened Susanna to carry out her tasks.
This reminds her of the biblical text from Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not be weary.”
On the day Suzanne had to make a decision and hand over the letter to the lawyers, she saw an eagle. And then she realized that God was with her when she told Raymond’s story in court.
Open to the whole world
Suzanne discovered that God was renewing her strength during the court battle. The family has been living without Raymond for almost seven years. Suzanne says she can do it because she knows God is with them.
“This fight is not just about me or our family, but also about our country and its legal system,” she says.
She was invited for an interview the day after the robbery, and she remembers thinking about keeping silent. Then she remembered the words: “He was taken away secretly, but I will announce it to the whole world.”
In the end, it is about hearing God’s will and doing it. Then God will also take care of everything.
The trial will continue in Malaysia on December 12 and 14 with testimony from Suzanne. Open Doors supports Suzanne, Jonathan, Esther and Elizabeth throughout the process. Open Doors partners walk alongside the Koh family, praying for them and encouraging them.
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