Malaysia expands investigation into corporate group over allegations of child sexual abuse

KUALA LUMPUR >> Malaysian authorities on Thursday expanded their investigation into a prominent Islamic business organization, a day after police rescued more than 400 children suspected of being sexually abused in charitable homes run by the group.

The Selangor state Islamic Religious Affairs Department said it was investigating the group's religious education facilities and had asked police to release all teaching materials seized during raids on the homes on Wednesday to determine whether any violations of Islamic law had been committed.

In Malaysia, which has a Muslim majority, there is a dual legal system that includes both Islamic and secular laws.

State religious authorities have the power to enforce laws against “deviant” teachings, even though the majority of Muslims are Sunni Muslims.

On Wednesday, police conducted coordinated raids on 20 premises of Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) in two Malaysian states, arresting 171 adults, including “ustaz,” or Islamic religious teachers. Among those rescued were 201 boys and 201 girls aged between one and 17.

Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain said the raids were in response to reports filed this month alleging neglect, abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault at the premises.

Two of the buildings searched were registered with the state government as Islamic schools, the Selangor Islamic Religion Department said in a statement on Thursday.

The authority said it had only monitored the schools in July but had not found any violations. It said it would conduct further investigations and take appropriate action if violations were found.

A GISB spokesman said on Thursday that the group would cooperate with the authorities.

In a statement the previous day, the GISB had rejected the allegations of sexual abuse and stated that it did not manage the searched charitable homes and would file a complaint with the police.

A 19-year-old girl appeared in court on Thursday charged with child abuse in connection with the case, state news agency Bernama reported.

Robert Gass, a UNICEF representative in Malaysia, said the organization was “deeply shocked and appalled” by the alleged abuse and called for long-term professional medical and psychosocial support for the children.

GISB, which is linked to a religious sect banned in Malaysia, is active in numerous business sectors from supermarkets to laundromats and operates in several countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Australia and Thailand, according to its website.

The group has acknowledged its links to the now-defunct Malaysia-based religious sect Al-Arqam, which was banned by the government in 1994 but now describes itself as an Islamic group based on Muslim practices.