Children allegedly sodomised in Malaysian welfare homes, taught to sexually assault others
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Inspector-General Razarudin Husain said the company running the homes appealed to religious sentiments to get donations from the public.
PHOTO: AFP
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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian police have rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan, where some children had been sodomised by their caregivers and allegedly forced to do the same to others.
Some children were also physically abused, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said on Sept 11.
“Children as young as five years old were injured with hot objects when they made mistakes,” he told a news conference in Kuantan, Pahang.
Some children who were sick were not allowed to receive medical treatment, which led to their condition turning critical, he was quoted as saying by the Free Malaysia Today online news website.
The children – 201 boys and 201 girls, aged between one and 17 – were rescued in a raid across the two states, codenamed Op Global, on Sept 11.
An ustaz, or Islamic religious teacher, was among the 171 people arrested in the operation, said The Star news daily. The suspects are aged between 17 and 64.
The 20 welfare homes raided today are linked to a Muslim conglomerate, Global Ikhwan Group (GISB), which operates hundreds of businesses across 20 countries, including in hospitality and real estate, The New Straits Times reported.
GISB was reportedly established in 2010 from the remnants of the Arqam Group, a sect that was banned by the government in 1994 for its deviant teachings.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the company’s modus operandi was to set up welfare homes to collect donations.
“Religious sentiments were used to gain sympathy and secure donations from the public,” Tan Sri Razarudin said.
Investigations are ongoing.
