KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — The strange “disappearance” of activist Peter Chong took another twist as police said he claimed to have been abducted in Thailand after going there to seek information on a Christian pastor’s abduction.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar Singh said Chong, who returned to Malaysia today after going missing for 11 days, had told local police that he had travelled to Thailand to meet someone with information on Pastor Raymond Koh’s disappearance.
“According to him, he had gone to Hadyai with the intention of meeting his source who will reveal more info on the disappearance of Pastor.
“Upon reaching Hadyai he claims to be kidnapped there and brought to Pattaya. Upon release, he contacted his son who bought his return ticket,” Amar Singh told Malay Mail Online in a WhatsApp message when contacted today.
At the time of writing, Chong’s son Darryl has yet to respond to Malay Mail Online’s queries.
Earlier today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar posted on Twitter that Chong has returned from Pattaya, Thailand, to Malaysia this afternoon.
Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Mohd Sukri Kaman told Malay Mail Online that the police recorded a statement from Chong directly at the airport and passed him to his family there at 2.15pm.
National news agency Bernama reported Kuala Lumpur police’s crime investigation department chief SAC Rusdi Mohd Isa as confirming that Chong reached Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 12pm on a Malindo Air flight and that he was healthy.
Chong’s family had last seen him at their home 11 days ago on April 5 and subsequently lodged a police report on his disappearance.
Khalid said Wednesday that Chong had not been abducted but was seen crossing the borders into Thailand on a bus on April 7 at 6.30am. The police chief said later that Thai police are helping to search for Chong as they wanted to ensure his safety there.
On February 13, Koh was abducted in broad daylight in Petaling Jaya and has remained missing since with no reports of ransom demands to his family.
Besides Koh, the disappearances of Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth and activist Amri Che Mat since last November also grabbed public attention.