Shut down: A notice to cease operations by the Social Welfare Department (in pink) pasted on the front of one of the raided homes in Petaling Jaya. — GERARD GIMINO/ The Star
PUCHONG: An executive had wanted to run a charity programme at a care home in Puchong. He raised funds and made arrangements for the programme scheduled for next month.
The man, who wanted to be known only as Joe, had called to finalise arrangement but his calls went unanswered since Tuesday. So, he decided to drop by the home.
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He was in for a shock. The centre was shut down, with a cafe operating next door also shuttered.
The centre was one of 20 care homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan that were raided by the police on Wednesday, with 402 children being rescued.
“I didn’t expect this at all. I read the news that about 400 children being rescued but I did not know this centre was one of them.
“Since my company still intends to carry out the charity programme, I’ll have to look for another home,” he said.
A neighbour, who only wanted to be known as Fais, thought someone in the area had died when he saw the large police presence at dawn on Wednesday.
“I asked the officers what happened, but they just brushed me off. Later that night, I realised this was one of the centres raided by the police,” he said, adding that the centre here only housed young girls aged about 10.
He said the children and their caretakers always kept to themselves. The cafe operated by the centre also ceased operations after the raid, he said.
At one of the raided homes in Shah Alam, a neighbour named Fayez said there were only boys at the centre.
“The children sell pastries every evening, but even then it would still be within the compound,” said Fayez, who has been living in the neighbourhood for 30 years,
A civil servant who declined to be named said he had not seen any of the children there going to school.
“My children are about their age, around 10 years old, and if those children attended school we would have surely noticed them. The children there also don’t mix with others in the community,” he said.
In Petaling Jaya, a raided home was sealed with tape from the Social Welfare Department. A businessman who lives nearby said he would see children in the centre at times, but almost never outside the compound.
“There was, however, an elderly man who seems to look after the children and he was always friendly with other residents. What happened was shocking,” said the man, who only wanted to be known as Usop.
A pensioner, who was friends with the caretaker, said he was lost for words.
“He always seemed like a good man. I can’t believe what supposedly happened. I hope there is justice for the children,” said the man.
While the raided centres were closed, the company allegedly linked to the homes was still operating in Rawang. The company has many shops in the area, with all shops within the enclave open for business.
An equestrian course linked to the company was also still operating, with some of the company’s employees seen riding horses there yesterday morning.
