Those rescued from GISB punished for even minor infractions
THE children rescued from Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISB) care homes were forced to perform 500 squats as punishment for even minor infractions, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said based on investigations by the authorities, the children – most of whom were separated from their parents at a very young age – were also made to work without pay.
“If they performed any wrongdoing, for (something) as simple as not queuing up properly, they would be punished – not 100, but 500 squats (ketuk ketampi).
“These children were separated from their families by GISB, according to assessments by psychologists under the police’s D11 unit or the Welfare Department.
“They missed their parents, some don’t even know them. We established all of this through our probes,” he said when winding up a special motion on the issue of GISB in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Earlier, 12 MPs debated on the special motion, and the Religious Affairs and Women, Family and Community Development ministries gave their explanations.
Saifuddin Nasution said of the 625 children rescued, 597 had proper identification documents such as birth certificates or MyKad.
“Efforts are continuing to verify the identities of the remaining 28 children, many of whom face challenges related to their citizenship status,” he added.
The minister also said the police operation covered 300 premises and resulted in 415 arrests.
Prioritising welfare of children: Saifuddin Nasution (left) and Dr Na’im Mokhtar addressing the Dewan Rakyat at the Parliament Building in Kuala Lumpur on the issue of the GISB kids. — Bernama
“These included two clinics, 99 businesses, a farm, four educational institutions and 134 private homes.
“Investigations showed significant financial misconduct, with money intended for the company being diverted into the personal accounts of board members,” he said.
As part of the investigation, Saifuddin Nasution said the authorities have expanded their efforts internationally, seeking cooperation from Interpol.
On the need for arrests under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), he said it was necessary due to the large numbers involved, and the police needed more time for investigations.
“Due to the magnitude of the crime, we invoked Sosma, under which we will bring them to justice within 28 days,” he said.
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri denied parents associated with the rescued children were forced to sign an admission of wrongdoing.
Her response came after a housewife, who was detained under Ops Global on Sept 11, claimed she was forced to sign a blank form by an officer from the Welfare Department as a condition for her child to be returned to her.
“I believe the woman was confused about the intention that the officer was trying to convey to her.
“In this case, the officer provided a document to notify the taking of the child into temporary custody. This notification or informing procedure is in line with the provisions under Section 18 of the Child Act,” she said in her winding-up speech.
Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Na’im Mokhtar said a module to rehabilitate the faith of those affected was developed involving experts from local universities to help the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim).
“So far, the rehabilitation module is only intended for adults but with this special committee, we will develop a module targeted at the children,” he said.
