MALACCA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Malacca state Welfare Department has ordered an old folks home implicated in the alleged abuse of an elderly woman to close within a week.

Malacca's women, family development and family committee chairman Datuk Latipah Omar said on Wednesday (Oct 5) all 19 occupants would be relocated to other homes.

"We found the home not fit for taking care of elderly folk after meeting with occupants and the caretaker," she said, after visiting the home accompanied by Department officials.

Footage of the caretaker at the home slapping an old woman had gone viral and was widely spread through the WhatsApp messaging app.

The 56-year-old caretaker of the home has denied abusing senior citizens there.

He alleged that a former staff member of the All Mighty Old Folks Home, who had been sacked, wanted to smear the reputation of the home.

"Footage showing me pushing the heads of old folks went viral after the staff member was sacked on Oct 1," he said.

However, the person in question refuted the caretaker's claims that she had been sacked.

"I resigned voluntarily as I could no longer bear to see the old folks being bullied," she said.

On Oct 4, the 29-year-old female former staff member lodged a report against the caretaker at the Batang Tiga police station, claiming that he frequently hit elderly folks in the home.

In her report, she also alleged that the caretaker had appropriated public donations for his own use and sometimes did not give food to the elderly folk.