KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) today said it will appeal two separate High Court rulings that ordered the Malaysian government to pay over RM40 million in total compensation to the families of missing activist Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh.
The AGC said in a statement that it would challenge the decisions that found both the government and police liable for the men’s enforced disappearances and ordered payments of RM3.26 million to Amri’s family and over RM37 million to Koh’s family.
Referring to High Court Judge Su Tiang Joo’s decision in Amri’s case, the AGC said it decided to file the appeal after ‘’scrutinising and considering His Lordship’s decision”.
In a separate statement, the AGC said it would also appeal the High Court’s decision in Koh’s case, which similarly found the government and police responsible for his disappearance.
In Koh’s case, the High Court ordered compensation of RM10,000 per day from the day he went missing until he is found — an amount that currently exceeds RM37 million — to be placed in a trust fund until his fate is confirmed.
The court also awarded RM6 million to Koh and his wife, Susanna Liew, along with RM250,000 in legal costs.
For Amri’s case, the court ordered the government and police to pay RM3,264,457.52 with interest to his wife, Norhayati Mohd Ariffin, as compensation and costs.
Apart from the financial awards, the High Court also directed the police to reopen investigations into both Amri’s and Koh’s disappearances and to submit progress reports to the AGC every two months.
Amri was abducted in Perlis around midnight on Nov 24, 2016, when his vehicle was surrounded by three cars and five men.
Koh was kidnapped on Feb 13, 2017, in Selangor after his car was surrounded by seven vehicles and about 15 masked individuals.
In April 2019, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) concluded that both men were victims of enforced disappearance carried out by the police’s Special Branch.
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