By Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian police mentioned on Friday they are going to summon the highest administration of an Islamic enterprise group, after youngsters rescued from charity properties allegedly run by the agency suffered accidents according to sexual and bodily assault.
Police this week rescued 402 youngsters and youths in raids carried out at 20 premises that they mentioned have been operated by Islamic conglomerate World Ikhwan Companies and Enterprise (GISB).
GISB has mentioned they didn’t run the properties and denied allegations of sexual abuses on the properties. It didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Friday.
Inspector-Normal of Police Razarudin Husain mentioned 172 of these rescued have undergone bodily and psychological well being screenings, with many exhibiting outdated and new accidents in addition to indications of emotional trauma and stunted progress.
A number of the youngsters have been disabled or sick, whereas 13 had been sodomised, Razarudin mentioned.
The case has sparked outrage in Muslim-majority Malaysia, with some critics questioning why motion had not been taken earlier after police mentioned it had obtained complaints on GISB way back to 2011.
Of 171 folks arrested throughout the raids, 159 have been detained pending investigation, whereas others have been discovered to have been minors and launched, Razarudin mentioned.
4 males and one girl are being investigated in reference to the sodomy instances, he added.
LINK TO BANNED SECT
Razarudin mentioned police will name up GISB’s board for questioning and didn’t low cost the opportunity of additional arrests or raids on premises linked to the group. He didn’t say after they can be summoned, citing pending investigations.
The agency, which has been linked to a banned Islamic spiritual sect in Malaysia, is concerned in companies starting from supermarkets to laundromats with operations in 20 international locations, in response to its web site.
The group has acknowledged its hyperlinks to the now-defunct Malaysia-based Al-Arqam spiritual sect, which was banned by the federal government in 1994, however now describes itself as an Islamic conglomerate based mostly on Muslim practices.
Razarudin mentioned the minors have been largely third or fourth era GISB members, whose dad and mom labored for the corporate and would abandon their youngsters at ages as younger as two.
“We found examples of children whose parents worked in Saudi Arabia for six years, but their kids remain here… this is a form of neglect, abuse and exposure,” he mentioned, including some had not seen their dad and mom in years.
He mentioned authorities screened 392 youngsters who have been being held in police amenities, whereas those that have been sick or with particular wants had been transferred to the welfare division and well being ministry for additional care.
Razarudin mentioned the probe could also be expanded to incorporate allegations of dishonest and cash laundering, and urged potential victims to come back ahead.