355 arrested for abuse in Islamist group’s shelters

Malaysian police announced Saturday the arrest of a total of 355 people as part of their investigation into hundreds of cases of children who suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse in foster homes in Malaysia. At least 402 children between the ages of 1 and 17 rescued from these centres last week may have been victims of all kinds of abuse.

Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain told a press conference that 171 suspects aged between 17 and 64 were arrested on 11 September during the first phase of an operation targeting members of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holding (GISB). The Islamic conglomerate is accused of running these “houses of horror” and of having links with the banned Islamist sect Al-Arqam. Other arrests had already taken place on Thursday, including that of GISB’s CEO Nasiruddin Ali and 30 other members of the organisation, including his own wife and 19 executives of the group.

Schools, shelters and residences

82 of the organization’s offices raided in twenty countries

The Malaysian police inspector general said 82 offices of GISB, which has extensive business in the food, education and hospitality sectors in around 20 countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Australia and Thailand, had been raided. Some 186 victims were rescued during the operation, he said.

He also said that during the operation documents were found linking the group to the Islamic teachings banned in Malaysia by its founder in 2010, Ashaari Muhammad, then leader of the controversial Al-Arqam sect, censored in the 1990s for deviating from the precepts of Islam.

Malaysian authorities, who have been sharing details of the preliminary investigation over the past week, said Tuesday that medical tests on 392 of those rescued showed signs of physical and emotional abuse. The police chief also said videos circulated on social media of the victims being beaten, whipped and groped on the chest and genitals, and alleged that they were subjected to labor exploitation and malnutrition.

He also said that some minors were sick or had disabilities and that at least 13 were raped.

In reception centres

Many of the victims could be children abandoned by members of the group.

According to the investigation, most of the children were born to GISB members and abandoned in the group’s care centres shortly after birth, meaning many parents may not be aware of their children’s identities.

GISB initially denied all allegations of violence and even said it did not manage the centres involved in the western states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. But CEO Nasiruddinm Ali acknowledged sexual violence on 14 September, although he rejected accusations of operating in a system of mass violence.

The company had been involved in other controversies in the past, such as for creating the so-called Obedient Wives Club, which taught women to be submissive to their husbands.