Task force reveals GISBH children underweight, have cognitive disorders

PARLIAMENT | Some of the children rescued from Global Ikhwan Services and Businesses Holdings (GISBH) are underweight, with several having cognitive disorders, said Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri.

A task force found that 51.6 percent of the 558 children profiled were underweight, according to body mass index (BMI) measurements, she told the Dewan Rakyat.

About 78 (20.26 percent) of the children had moderate cognitive impairments, while another 30 (7.79 percent) had severe cognitive issues.

“After completing the process to obtain a temporary custody order, the Social Welfare Department formed the Profiling Op Global Children Task Force.

“As of Oct 13, initial profiling was done on the 558 children under the protection and care of the department in safe spaces to compile information on their backgrounds,” she said.

In early September, police launched Ops Global and raided charity homes across Peninsular Malaysia linked to GISBH, which were suspected of child and religious exploitation activities.

As a result, 572 victims were rescued while 359 followers of GISBH, including its senior management, were arrested.

The number of children rescued has since increased to 662, but Nancy said today that 560 have been placed with the Social Welfare Department while the remainder have been returned to their families or caretakers.

Nursing kids remain with mums

“At first I said 560, but we only focused on 558 as two of the children are with their mothers as they are still nursing. We did not separate them.

“I am a mother. I will ensure that does not happen,” she said.

Nancy was responding to Mumtaz Nawi (PN-Tumpat), who enquired after claims that nursing babies had been separated from their mothers.

Aside from that, she revealed that three of the children have a disability card, while 27 have symptoms of disabilities.

The Social Welfare Department will work with the Health Ministry to provide these children with a more detailed cognitive assessment, she added.

She further said that her ministry aims to return all children to their families and caretakers.

“However, as stated, the parents and families of the children need to ensure that they can function well and can provide good and constructive care for the children.

“For cases that clearly prove the ability of parents and families, the process of reunification can be expedited,” she said.

Her ministry will hold intervention programmes for more complicated cases, she added.

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