KUALA LUMPUR – Former women, family and community development minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has questioned the circumstances which allowed alleged physical and sexual abuse to take place at 20 welfare homes, as recently uncovered during police raids.
Urging for a dedicated focus group to be formed to monitor the operations of welfare and religious homes, Shahrizat, who is also the Umno Women and Family Affairs Council (Hawa Malaysia) chairperson, stressed that such incidents should not be given the chance to reoccur.
“Hawa Malaysia would like to ask, where did it all go wrong? What was the flaw? Who turned a blind eye? When did the ambiguity begin, allowing such child abuse to happen before our very eyes?” she asked on Facebook yesterday.
“In the end, I believe that everyone in society, regardless of whether they have been given power or are merely shouldering duties as guardians, is collectively responsible to protect our children.
“May the children who have fallen victim receive the mental and physical support needed to recover (from their experiences) and lead a life of better quality,” she added.
She also said that all stakeholders should be engaged in the formation of the task force, which must monitor the operations of charity homes “hiding behind the curtain of welfare and religion”.
Noting that the task force should be given the authority to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently, Shahrizat added that the fate of children’s future is the “strongest justification” the government can utilise to channel more manpower and time toward such efforts.
“We cannot allow such cruel and heinous acts to happen again,” she said while expressing her gratitude towards the police and the Welfare Department for their roles in the operation, codenamed Op Global.
As part of the operation, police on Wednesday raided 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan, rescuing 402 minors comprising 201 boys and 201 girls aged between 1 and 17.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin said the premises raided were “welfare homes” linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISB Holdings), a multinational conglomerate involved in various businesses.
Investigations found that some of the rescued children were sodomised and taught to do the same to other children, while those who were sick were denied medical treatment, he said.
Razarudin added that the children’s bodies were touched inappropriately with the excuse that they were being given “Islamic treatments” while religious sentiments were used to garner sympathy in order for the homes to secure donations.
The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has since confirmed that while two of the schools involved in the raids were registered with the state religious authority, monitoring activities in January and March 2023, as well as July this year found no signs of deviation.
However, department director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad said that Jais has been continuously monitoring GISB Holdings over its history with the banned Al-Arqam sect and Rufaqa deviant teachings.
Meanwhile, GISB Holdings denied operating the welfare homes raided by police, after also denying any involvement in exploitative child labour.
171 individuals were detained during the raids, including teaching staff and dorm caretakers. All of them were remanded for seven days, beginning yesterday. – September 13, 2024