Children freed from banned Malaysian Islamic sect must undergo rehabilitation
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Hundreds of members of a controversial Malaysian Islamic conglomerate, including children, must undergo a 90-day rehabilitation program amid accusations of human trafficking, sexual abuse and indoctrination of deviant teachings, the government said Friday.
Authorities did not specify when the program would begin or the exact number of adults who would be required to participate.
Malaysian authorities have rescued over 600 children from welfare homes operated by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), a company linked to al-Arqam, a religious sect banned in 1994 for allegedly promoting a deviant form of Islam in the Muslim-majority country.
The ministry overseeing women’s and children’s affairs said the “end goal” is returning the rescued children to their parents, although some will remain in state care until they are fully rehabilitated.
“Most participants will be with their families based on the National Security Council (NSC) recommendation and approval. The program will generally last 90 days for everyone,” said Sirajuddin Suhaimee, director-general of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM).
The program will focus on providing religious, educational, psychological and vocational support to the children and other members of the group, according to the NSC.
“The aim is to ensure these individuals receive proper guidance on Islamic teachings and a healthy livelihood after the enforcement actions against GISB,” the NSC said in an earlier statement.
“We do not want to alienate these people. They need help and full support from both the government and society to return to the true Islamic faith.”
Many of the rescued children were believed to be trafficked as well as physically and sexually abused, authorities said.
Some were separated from their families at a young age and forced to perform hundreds of squats as punishment for minor infractions, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
“They would be punished with not 100 but 500 ear squats,” Saifuddin said on Tuesday, adding that some children were forced to work in industries owned by GISBH under the guise of education.
Over 350 individuals have been detained in connection with alleged child abuse at these homes since Sept. 11, according to authorities.
GISBH denied any connection to the welfare homes and accusations of child abuse, saying the claims were an attempt to tarnish its reputation.
However, the conglomerate’s CEO, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, admitted last month there had been “one or two cases of sodomy” at the shelters.
Content retrieved from: https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/malaysian/malaysia-children-abuse-gisbh-rehabilitation-10182024144123.html.
