Susanna Liew, the wife of missing pastor Raymond Koh was in Washington to receive the International Women of Courage Award 2020. She was among 12 women honored by the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award.
Ever since her husband was abducted in broad daylight, she has received death threats and been harassed by the police, but she continues to advocate for her husband and others, not because of her faith or theirs, but because of their rights as Malaysians.
Susanna and Raymond founded Hope Community in 2004, a non-profit organization that works with the poor, needy, and marginalized. She previously served as a school principal and educator.
Pastor Koh was abducted in 2017 and to date, has not been found by the Malaysian authorities.
The International Women of Courage Award has been given out by the secretary of state for 14 years. It recognizes women who demonstrate “exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.”
To date, 146 women have been honored from 77 countries.
Susanna urges the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin to ensure justice. She told The Star, “We hope the Prime Minister will use all his powers to see to it that justice is meted out, which means bringing to trial and prosecuting those involved in his abduction.
“I appeal to the new Prime Minister to do what is right – to bring closure to this dark chapter in our country’s history ” .
Isn’t it depressing that Malaysia has set up task force, after task force to resolve various issues; TBH, Indira Gandhi’s kidnapped daughter, and the “Abducted Four: pastor Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth, and Amri Che Mat”.
Last year, the then Home Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, announced the members of a special task force to reinvestigate the alleged enforced disappearances of pastor Koh and activist Amri Che Mat.
To date, what has he got to report. He has been appointed (not by our choice) pm. Will he step up the effort to find all the missing people, taken by the state?
Videos (and photo) are from the US Embassy and Malaysiakini,
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