KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he will not compromise when it comes to taking action against Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).
Speaking at a forum here, Anwar said the authorities are determined to continue uncovering the group’s misconduct. GISBH is being investigated for child abuse, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and deviant Islamic teachings.
“I am resolute and I will not back down,” he said during the Malaysia Madani Scholars Forum here tonight.
“If I have to compromise on this issue, then there’s no point in me being the prime minister.”
He said that anyone who commits an offence will face legal action, even if they claim to uphold Islamic principles.
“It doesn’t matter if they are preachers and they foam at the mouth when talking about Islam. We will still take action (if they commit crimes),” he said.
On Sept 11, police rescued 402 children and teenagers from 20 homes allegedly linked to GISBH in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. They were suspected of being victims of abuse and sexual exploitation.
Dozens of children have also been rescued from GISBH-linked welfare homes in Melaka and Pahang.
Police said their initial investigations showed that at least 13 children were sodomised or taught to sexually assault others.
On Tuesday, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said 572 children and teenagers had been rescued from GISBH-linked welfare homes after they were suspected of being exploited by the group.
So far, over 300 individuals, including GISBH’s senior management, have been detained.
Hundreds of items related to the teachings of Al-Arqam, a cult movement declared deviant by the National Fatwa Council in 1994, were discovered during raids on premises linked to GISBH in Melaka and Kelantan last week.
GISBH previously said it had discarded its former image as Al-Arqam’s business wing and is currently positioned as a multinational company.
On a separate matter, Anwar said the Cabinet is fully behind his decision to cancel a government agency’s plan to send 68 officials to an exhibition in Berlin.
He noted that in his two years as prime minister, no minister or political leader from the unity government had questioned his decisions on governance.
Anwar stressed the need to be firm on this matter to prevent such practices from continuing.
“When an agency has 20 officials wanting to go (on an overseas trip) and only eight people are attending meetings, you have to stop this,” he said.
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