KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6): Malaysia will appeal against court verdicts which found that the government and police were liable to Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat’s disappearance.

In separate statements, the Attorney General's Chambers said it took note of the High Court’s Nov 5 decisions in Koh and Amri’s cases by judge Datuk Su Tiang Joo, who also awarded damages to their families.

"After scrutinising and considering the decision, the Chambers will file a notice of appeal” against “the entirety of the decision", according to the similarly-worded statements.

The cases have sparked local and international criticism, including by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, after public inquiries in 2019 concluded that both Koh and Amri, a social activist from Perlis, were victims of enforced disappearance carried out by state agents.

Both Amri and Koh were involved in community programmes but came into the attention of the Special Branch over allegations that they were involved in the propagation of Shi'ism and Christianity through their respective non-profit organisations.

On Wednesday, the High Court ruled that the Malaysian government and police are liable for the 2017 abduction of Koh and that key elements of the case indicated state involvement, with at least one police officer involved in the abduction.

Su, in delivering the ruling on Wednesday, ordered the government to pay RM10,000 per day to Koh's family, starting from his disappearance on Feb 13, 2017, until he is found.

The government and police were also ordered to pay more than RM3 million in damages to the family of Amri for failing to undertake a proper investigation into his disappearance. The judge awarded special, general and exemplary damages totalling slightly more than RM3 million to Amri’s family. The family was also awarded costs of RM250,000.

Su also ordered the police to reopen the investigations into the disappearance of both Koh and Amri.

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Court finds govt, police liable for pastor Koh's disappearance, orders RM4m damages and RM10k daily penalty until he is found
Judge orders govt, police to pay RM3 mil in damages to missing activist Amri Che Mat's family