Selangor MB tells why GISBH was hard to expose
Menteri besar Amirudin Shari says the company shifted to business ventures and limited their activities to family members.
(FMT) – Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari today explained why authorities were late to expose Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) and their activities in the state.
Amirudin said the company changed its tactics by shifting to business ventures and limiting their activities to family members, Utusan Malaysia reported.
“Based on the initial briefings I received after the case (involving welfare homes linked to GISBH) was exposed, many GISBH entities changed their tactics by shifting towards business operations, so they couldn’t be properly monitored,” he was quoted as saying.
“They also limited their activities to their family members, and not to outsiders, further complicating efforts to establish the details of the violations they committed.”
Amirudin’s remarks come despite the Malaysian Islamic development department’s (Jakim) director-general Hakimah Yusoff reportedly saying that action had been taken against GISBH in February 2019.
Hakimah had said Jakim had held closed-door meetings with GISBH, involving the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs’s (MKI) Muzakarah committee, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and a panel of Jakim experts.
Amirudin also said he is scheduled to have an audience with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today to provide updates on developments concerning GISBH.
He said Sultan Sharafuddin summoned the Selangor Islamic religious department (Jais), the Selangor Islamic religious council (Mais) and the police a few days ago for discussions on the matter. “I was also briefed by some of them, and we are taking strong follow-up action. God willing, I will meet (Sultan Sharafuddin) today,” he said.
On Sunday, the sultan expressed his disappointment and regret that religious authorities did not act earlier against the welfare homes run by GISBH, which were unregistered and operating in Selangor.
He ordered the immediate closure of all unregistered welfare homes and Islamic schools in Selangor operated by GISBH and its network.
In response, executive councillor Fahmi Ngah, who heads the Islamic religious and cultural innovation committee, said a report on GISBH will be presented to the sultan this week.
Fahmi said the report will outline the actions taken or planned in accordance with the orders of the sultan.
On Sept 11, police raided 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, which the authorities had linked to GISBH, and rescued 402 children and made several arrests.
Police said their investigations showed that at least 13 of the children were sodomised or taught to sexually assault others.
GISBH has denied the allegations and any links to the case.
