400 Children Rescued by Malaysian Police from Suspected Sexual Abuse at Islamic Charity Homes
KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysian authorities rescued over 400 children on Wednesday who were suspected of being sexually abused at charity homes run by a prominent Islamic business organization with connections to a banned religious sect, according to the top police official.
During coordinated raids on 20 premises across two Malaysian states, police arrested 171 adults, including Islamic religious teachers known as “ustazs,” Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain stated.
Reports filed this month alleged neglect, abuse, sexual harassment, and molestation, leading to the rescue of 201 boys and 201 girls aged between one and 17, Razarudin disclosed during a press conference. The reports’ authors were not mentioned.
All the homes were operated by Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB), as stated by Razarudin.
In a statement released later, GISB refuted the sexual abuse claims, asserting that it did not manage the charity homes. The company stated, “It is not in our policy to plan and carry out actions that are against Islamic and national laws,” and expressed its intention to file a police report and request an investigation.
GISB, with operations in various countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Australia, and Thailand, is involved in businesses such as supermarkets and laundromats.
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According to Razarudin, initial police investigations revealed that the rescued minors were offspring of Malaysian GISB employees, sent to the homes shortly after birth and subjected to various forms of abuse.
The victims reportedly experienced sexual abuse by adult guardians and were later trained to commit such acts on other children at the homes.
GISB has ties to the now-defunct Malaysia-based Al-Arqam religious sect, which was outlawed by the government in 1994. GISB acknowledges this connection but now presents itself as an Islamic conglomerate grounded in Muslim practices.
Previously, GISB made headlines for forming the controversial Obedient Wives’ Club, a group advocating submission of women to their husbands in a manner likened to prostitutes.
The rescued children will undergo health screenings and documentation, with the case being investigated under laws pertaining to sexual offenses against children and human trafficking, Razarudin confirmed.
He stated, “The children and religious sentiments were also used to gain public sympathy and raise funds for the organization,” denouncing the indoctrination of children through religious means in a harmful fashion.
