Police are looking into the disappearance of a pastor in Malaysia who has been reported missing since Feb. 13.
Authorities are investigating the authenticity of a video posted online showing the alleged "abduction" of Pastor Raymond Koh, according to Channel News Asia. The video shows a moving silver car where Koh was supposedly on board. After turning from a highway in Petaling Jaya, the car was forced to stop and was subsequently surrounded by three black SUVs.
Several men clad in black, some wielding firearms, immediately got out of the SUVs. After a brief struggle, all the vehicles drove away.
When asked if the CCTV footage was authentic, Senior Assistant Commander Fadzil Ahmat said it is still "under investigation."
Ahmat said they do not know yet who circulated the two-minute video online. Koh's family has offered to pay RM100,000 (US$22,500) to anyone who can offer information regarding his whereabouts.
"It could be a combination of CCTV footage variously procured. We do not know who produced this," said Ahmat.
Koh made headlines back in 2011 after his non-government organisation Harapan Komuniti was accused by Selangor's Islamic Religious Department (Jais) of proselytising to Muslims. But the allegations proved to be false.
Despite this, an event he sponsored at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church was raided by Jais agents. The beneficiaries of his organisation—single mothers, drug addicts, and HIV patients, among many others—were also affected, some receiving death threats. Koh himself received a threatening piece of bullet sent in his own home.
Hundreds of concerned Christians recently held a vigil in Shah Alam and prayed for Koh's safety.
Meanwhile, a rumour has circulated through the instant messaging platform WhatsApp, claiming that Koh is already dead. However, a top Petaling Jaya official and the Koh family lawyer both dismissed the rumour, The Star reported.
