After shocking discovery in 'care homes' linked to banned cult, decade-long delay raises questions

Police are expected to conduct more raids nationwide following the recent rescue of hundreds of children who were being sexually exploited in day-care centres run by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), a company linked to a religious cult that was banned in 1994.

Dubbed "Ops Global", the raids in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan shocked the nation after more than 400 children aged seven months to 17 years were found to be victims of sexual grooming, sexual assault and sodomy.

What is likely to cause a stir, however, is the fact that complaints against the homes run by GISBH were first made as early as 2011.

The long delay led the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to call for local councils  to be empowered to monitor welfare homes.

"(The Child Commissioner) is further aggrieved on the fact that the care homes have been running for years undetected," said Suhakam's Child Commissioner Dr Farah Nini Dusuki.

 GISBH is helmed by former members and followers of the Al-Arqam group, a Muslim cult group that was banned in 1994 under the government of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The company, which is worth hundreds of millions of ringgit and operates in 20 countries with assets including property, restaurants and hotels, has denied the allegations of child exploitation, calling them "prejudiced, defamatory and malicious attempts to create negative perceptions".

"We pray to Almighty Allah that all slander, accusations, prejudice and hatred can be stopped and hopefully we can all live with love and tolerance and help each other build a Madani society as envisioned by the leadership of this beloved Malaysia," it said in a statement.

On Wednesday, police revealed shocking details of how children were sexually abused at GISBH-run care centres, including forcing them to to sodomise and assault other children.

It was also alleged that the victims were molested by their carers.

When Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Nancy Shukri, was asked to confirm the status of the care centres that fall under her ministry's jurisdiction, she responded with a short text message: "Please contact the police."

The raids on 18 premises resulted in the arrest of 171 suspects aged between 17 and 64.

Intense discussion on social media

Suspicions about the activities in the care centres intensely discussed on social media in recent months.

In February this year, influencer Ariz Ramli, better known as Caprice, revealed details of cruelty to children in care centres run by a religious sect, although GISBH was not named.

Last month, Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin labelled GISBH as a group involved in "religious gangsterism".

A Facebook page titled "Scam No One" is among social media accounts that have actively exposed fraud and forced labour at GISBH care centres.

GISBH is also accused of engaging in extreme indoctrination to instil loyalty in its leaders and training children to solicit money from the public under the pretext of being "orphans"

Pictures of children working as catering assistants and in a bakery in Miri, Sarawak also made the rounds.

GISBH in its current form was registered in 2013 by former followers of Al Arqam, a missionary group founded by Ashaari Mohammad and known for its wide range of businesses.

The group was banned by the government in 1994 and several leaders, including Ashaari, known as "Abuya" (father) to his followers, were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

However, the crackdown on Al-Arqam did not eradicate the group's activities and ideology, in which polygamy is a way of life among its followers, who live in close-knit villages and communities with their own ecosystems.

A famous Al-Arqam community is located in Sungai Penchala, just next to Taman Tun Dr Ismail, once the group's base and home to various facilities and small industries that form its financial backbone.

In its heyday, Al-Arqam is said to have attracted up to 12,000 members and over 200,000 followers, including professionals and technocrats, with its business empire spanning science and technology, property, engineering, book publishing, travel and retail.