Unfortunately, and in a worrying trend for all Malaysian and Malaysian Christians, Pastor Raymond is not the only Christian leader who has been abducted recently. Pastor Joshua Hilmy, a former Muslim and ethnic Malay, went missing on November 30, 2016.
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Khalid Abu Bakar blames intense publicity over the abduction for hampering investigations.
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Another man taken away, similar to how pastor was abducted
Opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says social activist Amri Che Mat went missing on Nov 24 and it was professionally done and well planned.
KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced today that another person has gone missing without a trace in a case similar to the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh. She said that after Koh’s abduction on Feb 13, she received news that a social activist from Perlis, Amri Che Mat, 43, had gone missing. “Even though police reports have been made, there has been no news, no follow-ups,” she said during a press conference at her office at the Dewan Rakyat.
steadyaky47 comment : In the early 60's, during my first year at University Malaya, I was staying in Happy Garden with a group of friends - from SABS Kuantan - some my classmates and some my seniors - all Malays. In between playing carom, poker and finding ways to keep body and soul together, politics was not a concern and government even less so.
Our neighbour was a Chinese family, Kang who worked in the RMAF, spoke Malay as any Chinese from up North can - as good as any of us and with the ease of one who has grown up all his life, among Malays. Sometimes if we are about to leave for Uni and Kang was outside doing stuff to his Lambretta, we would exchange greetings and salutations and maybe spend a few minutes bantering about whatever neighbours do banter about then ...and then be off on our way to Uni.
At Uni we sat among our friends and acquaintances - race and religion never a concern nor a pre condition as to whom we would want to sit with or would allow to sit with us. I remember Zeti (of Bank Negara fame) - already a beauty at that age - as one of those present during our lectures and always we were student first and everything else happening outside our campus, never really bothered any of us.
When I go back to Kuala Lipis where my father was then serving in the Police, the friends I had there were not Chinese, Indian or Malays...there were Tan, Balwant or Md Nor. I remember the Rest House was managed by a Chinese, the shops were mostly Chinese owned and there were plenty of Malays and Indians around. No animosity, no suspicion of the other intentions. When circumstance and needs threw us together, politics or religion was no concern of any of us. You socialise with Tan, Balwant or Md Nor as when any of them are free to do so. Nothing else matters.
Fast forward to today.
I live in Melbourne, so does Balwant. Of my housemates from 163 Happy Garden....three of them are Dato's...and the rest are well into retirement. Kang, I have lost touch with. Zeti became Governor. My father have long ago passed away and I will be 70 this year still married to the girl I met at 21 in London. Our daughter is settled in Canda with her family and our son is with us in Melbourne.
So what else have changed?
Life as we all know it has changed. Balwant and me are still friends in Melbourne for we are far from the maddening crowd in Malaysia.
Our country is much divided by our own government, into racial and religious enclaves. Our people are abused, used and disrespected by the same government. Our neighbours, friends, acquaintances and fellow Malaysians are suspicious of each other, divided, angry, sullen, fearful and helpless against a government of their own choosing who are now fighting with everything at their disposal, legal and illegal, to stay in government.
In all, our country is in flux. We do not know where it is heading. We do not dare to think that good will ultimately prevail over evil. We are constantly being pulled apart from each there because this same government divides and rule for that is the only way they think they can dominate politically. And those of us with long memories and even longer patience, know that never before have our country been more divided, our people more abused and used, our future compromised possibly beyond saving.
And what should be of more concern to all of us then anything else is that there is a palpable feeling in many many of our people, across the length and breadth of this nation of ours, that there is nothing they can do but to accept what is their lot now without hope for change. Such is the hold that this najib led barisan nasional government now has over our people, our nation and our future.
All that najib and his cohorts in government have needed to do to hold on to government they have done. All...and I mean all, that they have to do, they have done.
They have made the Civil Service, government departments, PDRM, the Attorney General's office, the Electoral Commission and all other authoritative entities in Malaysia, into their image : Corrupt and dedak dependent!
They are in the process of doing the same with the Armed Forces - the Angkatan Tentera - but for now there are enough elements within the ATM to stall if not dismiss this attempt by this najib led bn government to do to the ATM what it has already done to PDRM.
The Sultans are all already compromised many many years ago. How not to be compromised when they are dependent on the bn government for their daily bread.
Religion have long been hijacked by umno to serve their own purpose. And like the Sultans, when these religious zealots have their outstretched hands filled with dedaks....religion becomes merely another weapon of choice for politicians to use and abuse for their own vested interests.
And yet in all this, there have been some saving grace in the things that umno and their leaders, will and will not do. Until recently that had included paying at least lip service respect, to past leaders.
Not anymore. najib's treatment of Mahathir, the very man who had given him the opportunity to be prime minister, of Anwar Ibrahim and najib's treatment of Mahyuddin, his ex deputy, signals his and umno's intent on how they will treat everyone and anyone oppose to them. As their sworn enemies! And they will do to them what others have done to their enemies - tar and feather them when necessary.
And of late there had been another development in the escalating war of means that this despicable najib led bn government are prepared to do.
Murder most foul : Altantuya, Hussan Najadi. Kevin Morais the two pastors and now Social Activists, Amri Che Mat have all been murdered or gone missing. We are seeing a disturbing pattern of deeds that makes those who are becoming a problem to the powers that be disappear. And having disappeared, the Judiciary and PDRM colludes to prevent justice from going it's normal course, while prime minister najib parrots his "no stone untrue" promise to the people!
You and I know that more murders will follow.
You and I know that PDRM and the Judiciary will do what they have done before - at best look the other way, and at worse make themselves willing associates of najib's and bn determined attempt to rid themselves of any one capable of being a threat to their political domination of all things Malaysian.
Maybe it is too late to do anything because the rot has already settled in too deep. Maybe najib and bn really have got a death hold over all things Malaysians and will not let go no matter what. Maybe umno and the Malay electorates will not allow any change to their status quo and has the number to ensure that it is so.
Whatever the maybes....you can be sure of one thing.
There is just so much you can do to a human being before that human being starts to question what they can do to make things change for the better for himself, for his family and if he cares enough, for his people and his country. Ask yourself if that limit has been breached by najib, Ask yourself how many more people will you allow to "disappear" before you say "enough". And then ask yourself if the killing does not stop...what will you do?
That time to question one self, for many of us, started a long time ago. But those of us who have started questioning ourselves know that not enough of us have done so to allow us to be comfortable in our strength to tell najib to stop. More of you must come to our side. More of you must be strong, brave and loud enough to make najib understand that enough is enough. If you do not, more murders will be committed. If you do not, our chances to claim back our nation from a corrupt and despicable leader, grows lesser by the day.
Think about this now rather than later. Do something about it today rather than tomorrow.
I am one, With you I am two. Who else will join us!
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