Global Ikhwan Welfare Homes Linked to Child Abuse and Exploitation

The appalling revelation of physical and emotional abuse endured by children in welfare homes linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) has raised significant alarm. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that some of the 392 children rescued from 20 different welfare homes were subjected to a range of heinous acts, including grooming, child labour, and severe physical abuse.

The police investigation uncovered that these children experienced physical crimes such as beatings, caning, being pressured, and even being burnt with hot objects. In addition to physical torture, there were emotional crimes that necessitate further evaluation to properly assess the victims’ emotional wellbeing.

The Inspector-General provided updates stating that 149 children, aged between one and ten years, are currently under the temporary care of the Welfare Department. They have been transferred to four designated protection shelters as per Section 25(2) of the Child Act 2001. Meanwhile, the remaining 243 children remain at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) to be relocated to temporary childcare centers progressively.

Currently, authorities are struggling to identify some of the children’s parents, as not all have come forward. Razarudin highlighted the possibility that some parents were unaware their children were among those rescued, especially since the GISBH label of ‘orphans’ had been falsely applied to these children. This confusion is exacerbated by unregistered customary marriages, marked by children carrying the name “bin Abdullah,” a term typically associated with children born out of wedlock in the Muslim community.

Razarudin also shed light on the operational setup of these welfare homes, where children as young as 16 or 17 served as caregivers, often referred to as “abang or kakak besar” (big brother or sister). These homes were organized into zones, each managed by a leader overseeing several homes, with children periodically shuttled between locations—an arrangement still under scrutiny by the police.

A significant legal violation was uncovered with only two out of the 20 homes registered under the Welfare Department. This breach became evident following a raid by Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department on September 11 in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, resulting in the rescue of 402 children aged one to 17 years. The focus now is on investigating allegations of child exploitation within these charity homes, believed to be owned by GISB.