On Wednesday, Malaysian authorities conducted a major operation that led to the rescue of 402 children and the arrest of 171 suspects. The raids targeted 20 welfare homes managed by the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings, a group allegedly involved in exploiting and abusing the children in their care.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain revealed that the operation followed serious allegations of child abandonment, deviant teachings, and sexual assault. The raids, which took place across 18 homes in Selangor state and two in Negeri Sembilan state, uncovered disturbing conditions. The rescued children, comprising 201 boys and 201 girls aged between 1 and 17 years, were reportedly subjected to severe mistreatment.
The suspects arrested include 66 men and 105 women, among them religious teachers and caretakers. The investigation revealed that children were not only abused by caretakers but were also coerced into abusing each other. Additionally, sick children were reportedly denied medical care until their conditions worsened, and some were subjected to physical punishment such as being burned with hot spoons.
Global Ikhwan, an organization previously led by the controversial Ashaari Mohamad, has faced scrutiny for its alleged ties to the banned Islamic sect Al Arqam. Despite the severity of the accusations, the group denied exploiting children and committed to cooperating with authorities. However, they did not address the specific allegations of sexual abuse.
The group, which operates in various sectors including food and beverage, media, medical, travel, and property, has branches in 20 countries and employs over 5,000 people. The investigation continues as authorities assess the full extent of the alleged abuses.