PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — One supermarket and three food-and-beverage outlets said to be owned by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) here have shuttered following allegations of involvement in child trafficking and exploitation.

Three outlets on Jalan Diplomatik in Precinct 15 – Ikhwan Delights, Ikhwan Cafe, and Ikhwan Bakery – along with Ikhwan Mart on Jalan Kedah stopped operations four days ago, Berita Harian reported today.

"As a young person, I was unaware that the companies under GISB were offshoots of the Al-Arqam sect, which was banned by the government in the past, until the news became widespread,” a sales assistant who worked near the three F&B outlets, Mohd Faris Haziq Mohd Fauzi, was quoted as saying by the Malay daily.

According to the 20-year-old, all four Ikhwan shops in the area closed simultaneously after news about GISBH circulated on social media.

The Ikhwan Mart recently became viral since it was the subject of a GISBH song that was then parodied by the Facebook page calling itself Pusat Kajian Ajaran Sesat (Pukas), or Malaysia Centre for the Study of Heresy.

The parodies received the attention of authorities, with the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) saying it is actively monitoring social media content involving GISBH.

This included one unusual video featuring a group of topless African male dancers singing the jingle.

The daily today cited another 20-year-old Addin Hilmi Halim who used to patronise Ikhwan Cafe saying the eatery was rarely closed and was frequented by customers, especially during working hours.

The university student told Berita Harian that many of the employees were young, but unfriendly and difficult to interact with.

"Since the cafe closed, the staff have also not been seen, perhaps they have been instructed by their superiors to relocate,” he was quoted as saying.

GISBH, which earned a reputation for its Islamic business practices, has seen many of its operations in peninsular Malaysia closed amid a police dragnet from September 11.

The corporation runs numerous supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, restaurants and abattoirs domestically and abroad is in the spotlight after police disclosed sexual abuse incidents involving over 400 minors at charity homes run by its associates following raids in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

GISBH has been linked to the Al Arqam Islamic cult that was banned in the 1980s.

Previously, media reports indicated that several GISBH business premises in Perlis, Kelantan, and Terengganu were also closed in light of the issues affecting the company.

According to its website, GISB operates a network of restaurants and supermarkets both domestically and internationally, including in Mecca and Australia.