Children freed from banned Malaysian Islamic sect must undergo rehabilitation

Hundreds of members of a controversial Malaysian Islamic conglomerate, including children, must undergo a 90-day rehabilitation program amid accusations of human trafficking, sexual abuse and indoctrination of deviant teachings, the government said Friday.

Authorities did not specify when the program would begin or the exact number of adults who would be required to participate.

Malaysian authorities have rescued over 600 children from welfare homes operated by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), a company linked to al-Arqam, a religious sect banned in 1994 for allegedly promoting a deviant form of Islam in the Muslim-majority country.

The ministry overseeing women’s and children’s affairs said the “end goal” is returning the rescued children to their parents, although some will remain in state care until they are fully rehabilitated.

“Most participants will be with their families based on the National Security Council (NSC) recommendation and approval. The program will generally last 90 days for everyone,” said Sirajuddin Suhaimee, director-general of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM).

The program will focus on providing religious, educational, psychological and vocational support to the children and other members of the group, according to the NSC.

“The aim is to ensure these individuals receive proper guidance on Islamic teachings and a healthy livelihood after the enforcement actions against GISB,” the NSC said in an earlier statement. 

“We do not want to alienate these people. They need help and full support from both the government and society to return to the true Islamic faith.”

Many of the rescued children were believed to be trafficked as well as physically and sexually abused, authorities said.

Some were separated from their families at a young age and forced to perform hundreds of squats as punishment for minor infractions, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

“They would be punished with not 100 but 500 ear squats,” Saifuddin said on Tuesday, adding that some children were forced to work in industries owned by GISBH under the guise of education. 

Over 350 individuals have been detained in connection with alleged child abuse at these homes since Sept. 11, according to authorities.

GISBH denied any connection to the welfare homes and accusations of child abuse, saying the claims were an attempt to tarnish its reputation.

However, the conglomerate’s CEO, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, admitted last month there had been “one or two cases of sodomy” at the shelters.

Proper rehabilitation 

Child psychology experts said the rescued children should be kept at safe houses and separated from their parents while they are undergoing rehabilitation.

“If they are returned to their families too soon, it is feared that the healing process won’t happen and the situation could worsen if there are negative elements in the home itself,” Mariani Md. Nor, a child psychology expert at SEGi University, told BenarNews.

She urged a holistic recovery process involving counselors, psychologists and social workers to help children rebuild their mental, emotional and intellectual well-being.

A psychologist offered similar concerns.

The trauma experienced by the children could have severe long-term consequences if not addressed properly, said Zulfikar Ahmad, a senior psychologist at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Psychological and Counseling Services Center. 

“Some may need psychosocial, spiritual, or clinical intervention, and that takes time,” he told BenarNews. “But for now, the safe house is the best option.”

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The welfare department has received 98 applications from parents seeking to reclaim about 200 children who have been placed in government shelters, authorities said Thursday.

“We need to ensure the individuals seeking to retrieve the children are their actual parents,” said Nancy Shukri, Women, Family and Community Development minister.

“In some cases, these children have never even seen their mothers,” she told reporters 

Meanwhile, a mother expressed frustration over the alleged lack of transparency from authorities. 

The woman, who asked to be identified as “Sofea,” said she had not seen her 10-year-old daughter for over a month. The child had been enrolled in a boarding school operated by GISBH. 

“I was told by the police that my daughter is under the care of the welfare department, but I don’t know where she is. It’s been 37 days, and I just want to see her,” she told BenarNews. 

“I need to know that my daughter is OK.”