SELAYANG, MALAYSIA — Top executives of a Malaysian conglomerate linked to a banned sect were charged Wednesday with being members of an organized crime group after police raids uncovered horrific tales of child abuse in the organization.
Nasiruddin Ali, 65, the chief executive of Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB), his wife Azura Yusof and 20 senior leaders heard the charges at a court in the town of Selayang, in Selangor state outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
The single-page charge sheet said Nasiruddin and the others were found to be members of the “organized crime group” identified as GISB Holdings.
Defence lawyer Rosli Kamaruddin said he would ask the attorney general to either review or drop the charges.
The court fixed December 23 for further mention, and no bail was granted. The group’s pleas will be taken at a later date at the High Court.
They face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.
The accused — 13 men and nine women — were brought to the court under tight police security and chained together, AFP reporters saw.
GISB has long been controversial for its ties to the Al-Arqam sect, which has been banned in Malaysia since 1994 for its deviant teachings and cult-like activities.
In 2011, GISB set up an “Obedient Wives Club” that called on women to be “whores in bed” to stop their husbands from straying.
A series of police raids last month on care homes run by GISB in Selangor and neighbouring Negeri Sembilan state resulted in the rescue of more than 400 children.
Malaysia’s police chief Razarudin Husain has said that at least 13 children suffered sexual abuse after medical screenings.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also said in parliament last week that the children were being severely punished even for minor infractions.
The case has shocked the country and sparked concerns about the welfare of children in care facilities and the regulation of charitable organisations in Malaysia.
Further police raids brought the total number of children rescued to 625, while 415 individuals have been arrested, including the GISB leaders.
Police are also investigating GISB for money laundering, deviant teachings and extremist indoctrination following reports the rescued children were exposed to videos with militant themes.
GISB ran a network of supermarkets, restaurants and travel agencies catering to Muslim customers in Malaysia and 20 other countries, but the raids have crippled their businesses.
