Text size

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 revealed horrific stories of child abuse within the company. organization.

Nasiruddin Ali, 65, managing director of Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB), his wife Azura Yusof and 20 senior executives heard the charges at a court in Selayang town, Selangor state, outside from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The single-page indictment said Nasiruddin and the others were members of the “organized crime group” identified as GISB Holdings.

Defense lawyer Rosli Kamaruddin said he would ask the attorney general to reconsider or drop the charges.

The court set a later date of December 23 and no bail was granted. The group’s pleas will be heard later in the High Court.

They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The accused – 13 men and nine women – were brought to court under heavy police security and chained together, AFP journalists noted.

The GISB has long been controversial due to its links to the Al-Arqam sect, banned in Malaysia since 1994 due to its deviant teachings and sectarian activities.

In 2011, the GISB established an “Obedient Wives Club” which called on women to be “whores in bed” to prevent their husbands from straying.

A series of police raids last month on GISB-run nursing homes in Selangor and neighboring Negeri Sembilan state resulted in the rescue of more than 400 children.

Malaysian police chief Razarudin Husain said at least 13 children were victims of sexual abuse after medical examinations.

Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also told parliament last week that children were severely punished even for minor infractions.

The case shocked the country and raised concerns about the welfare of children in care and the regulation of charities in Malaysia.

Further police raids brought the total number of children rescued to 625, while 415 people were arrested, including GISB leaders.

Police are also investigating GISB for money laundering, deviant teachings and extremist indoctrination, following reports that rescued children were exposed to militant-themed videos.

GISB operated a network of supermarkets, restaurants and travel agencies catering to Muslim customers in Malaysia and 20 other countries, but the raids paralyzed their operations.

llk/mba/smw