Sexual abuse incident at Malaysian children's welfare homes highlights loopholes in child protection

On September 13, 2024, news from Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police conducted surprise inspections on 20 children's welfare homes, where it is alleged that hundreds of children have suffered sexual abuse. This incident not only exposed the weak links in the country's child protection but also put the Islamic business group operating these welfare homes in the spotlight.

In Wednesday's operation, Malaysian authorities rescued 402 children from welfare homes operated by the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings. The police detained 171 suspects, including religious teachers and caregivers. This business group was founded by Ashaari Muhammad, who once led a cult organization banned by the government. Although he has passed away, the group is still thriving.

The welfare homes are accused of serious abuse, triggering public anger and shock. Activists are calling for stronger supervision of children's centers and stricter enforcement against religious institutions. The national police chief said that some children were sodomized, taught to sexually abuse each other, and also deprived of medical treatment and punished with burns from hot metal spoons. These children are believed to have been indoctrinated to be loyal to the organization since childhood and were also used to collect donations. At present, some children have been transferred to the welfare department, and the rest are undergoing medical examinations. The case is being investigated on charges such as sexual abuse.

UNICEF said these children need long-term medical and psychological support. A spokesperson for Global Ikhwan denied the sexual abuse allegations, saying that some people are trying to smear the group's reputation. The group has operations in many countries and has caused controversy for establishing the "Obedient Wives Club." The child affairs commissioner of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission questioned why the welfare homes had been operating for years without being detected and also worried about possible unreported abuse cases. Malaysia is often regarded as a moderate Muslim country and is cautious about unauthorized Islamic groups. This incident has attracted widespread attention.