KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — The Sultan of Selangor today ordered the state Islamic authorities to take immediate action against Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), a local company at the centre of ongoing investigations for a slew of suspected criminal and deviant religious activities.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was shocked and disappointed to find out about the scandal upon returning home from abroad, noting that the allegations against GISBH had been going on for so long without any action taken.
“I feel regret and disappointment that this matter has persisted for a long time without effective action being taken to address it.
“We must accept the reality that the delay in handling this issue reflects a weakness in the monitoring and enforcement of laws by religious agencies regarding charitable homes and Islamic schools associated with GISBH and its network, resulting in the matter becoming so serious and unmanageable,” he said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of the Selangor Royal Office this afternoon.
He called for immediate and firm legal action to be taken against all those who commit crimes against children and religiously deviant practices to preserve the sanctity of Islam.
“I wish to remind all parties, especially the religious authorities, to take the issues related to the behavior of GISBH seriously, particularly when it involves children and the suspected heretical teachings practiced by them.
“I do not want us to be likened to a ‘hollow tin’, meaning merely good at talking but with no results.
“We must adhere to the principle of ‘walk the talk’ or putting our words into action,” he added.
He also called on the police and all other enforcement agencies to conduct investigations transparently to maintain the public trust.
The GISBH scandal broke earlier this month after Bukit Aman announced a massive raid on 20 charity houses linked to GISBH in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, in which they rescued over 400 child residents and arrest nearly 200 people between the ages of 17 and 64.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain later announced that a number of individuals linked to the company are suspected of involvement with a number of criminal activities from sexually abusing the minor to coaching them on how to sexually abuse other children, human trafficking, and criminal intimidation.
In the immediate aftermath of the police disclosure, GISBH executive chairman and CEO Datuk Nasiruddin Mohd Ali admitted on September 14 to sodomy allegations but downplayed the number to “one or two” incidents.
The police have since mounted more raids and arrests nationwide.
As at the time of reporting, national news wire Bernama reported IGP Razarudin saying roughly 200 people have been arrested so far for their suspected links to GISBH.
Perlis was the first state to issue a fatwa on GISBH after declaring the business group as deviant.
The group has been linked to Al Arqam, an Islamic sect that was banned some 30 years ago.
