Johor MB: State govt to set up committee to restore faith of GISBH followers amid child exploitation probe

JOHOR BARU, Oct 2 — The Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) will establish a special committee to restore the faith of followers of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) in the state, said Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

He said the committee had been approved at a MAINJ meeting to develop efforts to restore the spiritual beliefs of GISBH followers in Johor.

“In addition, this effort also aims to coordinate the education, placement, and aid provided to the children of GISBH followers,” he said in a statement today.

This move follows the arrest of several key GISBH individuals by police during a major crackdown on welfare homes run by the organisation for alleged abuse and exploitation.

Onn Hafiz said the Johor government is monitoring GISBH for any further developments.

“We will continue to take action, including investigating the organisation’s activities and monitoring the movement of its members in the state,” he said.

The menteri besar said the “Op Global” operation, involving police, the Johor Islamic Religious Department’s (JAINJ) enforcement division, and the Social Welfare Department (JKM), was conducted on September 20 and 21.

“The operation targeted eight of the 43 premises owned by GISBH across five districts: Johor Baru, Kluang, Segamat, Kota Tinggi, and Mersing.

“As a result, 29 individuals were arrested and 30 children and teenagers were rescued,” he said, adding that the rescued children and teenagers have been placed under JKM’s care for one month.

MAINJ has also allocated RM20,000 to JKM for clothing and textbooks.

Onn Hafiz emphasised that MAINJ will continue to enforce existing regulations and cooperate with the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) regarding research, studies, and decisions related to GISBH’s status.

“The state government will take strict action against any party committing crimes against children or practising beliefs contrary to Islam, in order to preserve the purity of the faith,” he said.

On Monday, the Selangor Mufti Department convened to make a decision on GISBH, while the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) reviewed a report on the organisation presented by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on September 24.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said no party involved in the GISBH investigation would be allowed to hide behind race or religion if found guilty of child abuse or exploitation.

“The actions of the organisation’s members cannot be allowed to continue unchecked, as they involve mistreatment and violation of individual rights,” he said.

Last month, police launched the “Op Global” operation, during which several charitable homes across Peninsular Malaysia linked to GISBH were raided on suspicion of child and religious exploitation. A total of 572 victims were rescued, and 359 GISBH members, including top management personnel, were arrested.