Gisbh Case 96 Parents Claim Children Seized Not Rescued

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A group of 96 parents who were detained in a crackdown against Global Ikhwan Services and Businesses Holdings (GISBH) are demanding the return of their children who are under the custody of the Social Welfare Department.
The parents, who dubbed themselves the "Gerakan Pulangkan Anak-Anak Kami" (GPAAK), claimed that both their arrest and the removal of custody over their 174 children were unlawful.
Its spokesperson, Federal Territory Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, alleged that the authorities had not rescued the children as claimed.
"Not all the parents (in GPAAK) are GISBH members. And not all children were taken from welfare homes, some were taken from their own homes.
"We want the government to immediately return their children. Their children were not 'saved' but were 'seized' by the authorities," he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.
GPAAK spokesperson Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz (right) and lawyer Nizam BashirAlso present were the parents' lawyers, Nizam Bashir and Rizal Abdullah.
Teaching staff, volunteers caught in the mix
Elaborating on the status of the GPAAK members, Faisal alleged that 80 percent were not GISBH members, while the other 20 percent were.
Of the 96 parents, 49 percent had no ties to GISBH, he claimed.
He said the 51 percent who were related to GISBH were either staff at GISBH and its companies, teachers at its schools, or caretakers and volunteers who worked at the group's welfare homes.
"So on what grounds were those who are not GISBH members and have no connections to GISBH arrested and detained in custody for days?
"Isn't this a case of wrongful arrest? What connection do they have to any allegations of deviant teachings?" he asked.
Faisal added that all 96 parents possess valid marriage certificates and have registered their children's births with the National Registration Department.
‘Kicked around like a ball’
One father, Utbah Faroha, 30, from Ampang, claimed that his efforts to get his son back from the Social Welfare Department have been unfruitful.
Utbah Faroha (right)"My child is detained at a GISBH dormitory in Bukit Beruntung. When I went to the police station, they asked me to wait a week for a call from the Social Welfare Department.
"After a week, there was no call from the department, so I went to them, and the staff scolded me because they could not contact me as they had no information.
"When I said I had given my details to the police, they said that the department is not related to the police," he alleged.
He said he was told to wait another week to get a call from the department, which he alleged did not happen either.
When he returned to the department a second time, they turned him away, saying the case was under investigation.
"They kicked us around like a ball," he claimed.
Utbah also denied allegations that GISBH practices forced marriages on its members.
"That is not true. I was given a choice. When I agreed, only then did I register my marriage. All documents are complete. There was no coercion," he asserted.
Sick children
A mother, Mashitha Mat Isa, became emotional when asked to share her experience visiting her child, who is in Selayang Hospital.
"Yesterday, I received a call from the Social Welfare Department informing me that my 18-month-old child is at Selayang Hospital due to influenza B.
"After I pleaded to see my child, they allowed only one hour. When I requested to stay longer with my child, the department refused, citing that the case is under court jurisdiction," she said.
The 31-year-old said she had volunteered for three months at one of GISBH's welfare homes in Sepang.
She was detained along with her five children on Sept 1. While she was later released, her children remained with the Social Welfare Department.
She stressed she had never neglected her children, as they were always with her at the welfare home.
Nur Akma Arifin (seated right)Another mother, Nur Akma Arifin, claimed she and her children were detained in their home in Country Home, Rawang.
She was a former GISBH staff member who left six years ago.
"One of my children, a 17-year-old, is disabled and bedridden. I still do not know where my children are. All four of my children were taken," she said.
Forced to sign forms?
Nizam and Rizal urged the government to clarify allegations that some parents were forced to sign Form 2 (Notification of the temporary care of children by a protector) from the Social Welfare Department.
"We found that they were required to sign a form that social welfare officers already marked violations beforehand.
"We have never seen such a form where violations were pre-printed, and the officers forced these parents to sign without reading the content.
"This form was used in court to seek remand against these parents," they said.
Earlier, Faisal listed 12 demands from the parents to the government.
Among them, the government must promptly return the children to their parents and take action against government staff who abused their power in this case.
GPAAK also demanded that Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain, Selangor Islamic Department director Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad, and Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin resign immediately for making irresponsible statements regarding the case.
They also requested that Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail apologise for allegedly mishandling the case.
Malaysiakini is seeking feedback from the relevant parties regarding the allegations from the parents. - Mkini

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