Telling everyone bluntly “to please shut up” and allow the police to do its work, Khalid also said allegations that government special forces were involved in the abduction were ridiculous.
“You are only putting the life of the pastor in danger. We have cases where kidnappers will hold on to the victim for months, and they will only respond when it is safe to respond.
“I would like to ask everyone to allow us to do our work and not put his life in danger. To be blunt, I would say please shut up!” Khalid said in a press conference at the Equatorial Hotel in Bayan Lepas, Penang, today.
He added that candlelight vigils and the widespread media coverage on the issue were only complicating the investigation and making it more difficult for police to trace the Christian religious leader.
Responding to claims that “special forces” had abducted Koh “professionally”, as shown in a video that has gone viral, Khalid said the professionalism of those involved in the abduction was nothing new.
“Did you see the murder of Geng Satu Hati? Did you see how organised they were? They have TV shows and movies to show them how high tech they can go,” he said.
Koh, 62, was abducted by a group of masked men on Jalan SS4B/10, less than 100 metres from the Police Housing Complex in Kelana Jaya on Feb 13. He was driving a silver Honda Accord bearing the licence plate ST 5515 D.
He was on his way to a friend’s house in Kelana Jaya when he was abducted in what CCTV footage has shown to be a well-executed plan involving more than 10 men and seven vehicles in broad daylight.
His family is offering a reward of RM100,000 for information of his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Khalid also took a dig at Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who had reportedly offered to negotiate with those who had abducted Koh.
“He wants to be a negotiator? If there are no calls from the abductors, then who are you going to negotiate with. Just be quiet and don’t do anything. You are making the police’s work more difficult,” the IGP said without mentioning Mujahid by name.
“I would also like all of you to not publicise this matter further in the media until we can find him. More spotlight on Pastor Koh would only put him in more danger,” Khalid told reporters.
Earlier, Khalid had opened the two-day conference of the Far East Working Group of the 34th International Drug Enforcement Agency.
Worst case scenario feared over Pastor Raymond Koh’s abduction