In a shocking and disturbing revelation, the Malaysian police have rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, following reports of widespread abuse and mistreatment. The victims, many of whom suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of their caregivers, were freed during a major police operation, dubbed Op Global, on September 11.
According to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain, the abuse was rampant and egregious, with some residents being sodomized by their caregivers and even coerced into performing similar acts on others. In addition to the sexual abuse, victims were physically harmed, with some being burned with hot objects as punishment for mistakes. Others were denied medical care, leaving their health conditions to deteriorate critically.
The care homes where the abuse occurred are linked to the Global Ikhwan Group (GISB), a Muslim conglomerate operating hundreds of businesses across 20 countries. However, Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) has strongly denied allegations of sexual abuse, including sodomy, at its welfare homes. The organization emphasized that it is not affiliated with the care homes in question and rejected any claims of involvement in such misconduct.
In a statement, GISBH suggested that individuals with ulterior motives are attempting to damage its reputation and disrupt its business operations. Despite these denials, authorities are now investigating the full extent of the group's involvement in the care homes' management and the systemic abuse uncovered during the raid.
The rescue operation, Op Global, was a major undertaking by the Malaysian police, and it is clear that the authorities are taking the allegations of abuse seriously. The fact that 402 children were rescued from these welfare homes is a stark reminder of the scale of the problem and the need for urgent action to protect vulnerable children.
