KUALA LUMPUR: A Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) member who was detained had four wives and 34 children, says Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
The Inspector-General of Police said the man was among 156 people detained on Saturday in the ongoing Ops Global.
“He had only two children with him and he did not know where the remaining 32 children were.
“It’s impossible for a father to not know his children unless he does not even recognise them.
“If we ask for their names, he might have forgotten them too,” he told a press conference at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here yesterday.
The IGP said police also believe that most of the children they rescued under Ops Global since Sept 11 were those of GISB members.
“We are investigating the possibility that some members chose not to admit that the rescued kids were theirs as they do not want to be exposed for lying that the kids are orphans.
“We can probe this under Section 420 of the Penal Code because the members have claimed that the children are orphans and collected donations on their behalf,” he said
Razarudin also said the 156 individuals detained comprised 80 men and 76 women.
Of these, 55 were aged 18 to 30, 53 were 31 to 50 years old, 32 of them aged 50 to 65, and 16 were aged 65 and above, he said.
With much of the GISB structure collapsing, Razarudin urged the remaining members who had fled to turn themselves in.
“Our focus is on saving the children; their welfare is our utmost priority,” he said.
Razarudin also said 187 children – 100 boys and 87 girls – were rescued under Ops Global on Saturday.
“There were 59 kids below five years, 75 aged six to 12, 40 aged 13 to 17, and 13 who were aged 18 or older.
“This brings the total children saved since Sept 11 to 572.
“All of them will go through health checks before being placed at 11 shelter homes managed by the Welfare Department,” he added.
Among those rescued that day were four siblings, aged between six and 11, who have been separated from their father since 2021.
Razarudin said the children were rescued from a care home in Tapah, Perak.
“Two of the children had videos of them going viral for being punished by GISB members.
“One of them was whipped with a cane while another one was stepped on.
“The children are being cared for and monitored at a hospital’s paediatric ward,” he said.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, he said.
“Initial checks revealed that there were signs of neglect and trauma,” he added.
At the press conference, Razarudin also said police were investigating alleged threats against Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.
“Initial investigations found that Asri was at his office in Kangar when he received WhatsApp messages from an unknown number at 8.56am on Saturday,” he said.
Last Friday, Mohd Asri announced that Perlis had become the first state to issue a fatwa declaring GISB as a deviant sect and that the religious decree would be gazetted soon.
