Large crowd attends prayer service for abducted pastor

PETALING JAYA: A big crowd gathered at the Sungai Way - Subang Methodist Church (SSMC) to attend a prayer service for Pastor Raymond Koh, who was abducted 50 days ago.

Among the church leaders at the service were Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Rev Father Julian Leow Beng Kim, who is the head of the Catholic Church in Malaysia, Methodist Church Bishop Dr Ong Hwai Teik and South-East Asia Anglican Archbishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing.

Also present was Council of Churches Malaysia secretary-general Rev Dr Herman Shastri.

The congregation from 72 churches started trickling in as early as an hour before the service started at around 8.30pm.

During the service, Pastor Koh’s wife, Susanna Liew, and her children Jonathan, Esther and Elizabeth, read scriptures from the Bible and delivered a poem titled “Where is Raymond Koh?”

Last night was the first time that church leaders of various denominations had gathered for the service. Previously, candlelight vigils were held nationwide in solidarity with Koh and his family.

Koh, 62, was abducted by a group of men along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya on Feb 13 while on his way to a friend’s house.

CCTV footage showed that at least 15 men in three SUVs were involved in the abduction.