Welfare Dept monitoring Kuching childcare centre linked to Global Ikhwan, says Fatimah

KUCHING (Sept 18): The Welfare Department is monitoring a childcare centre here linked to the controversial Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holding (GISBH), said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said an operating licence was granted to the childcare centre in 2014 for a period of five years.

She said although the licence expired in 2019, the operator has not renewed it despite continuing operations.

“I remember the supervisor of the centre came to the Welfare Department to obtain the renewal form for their licence but the form was never returned to us,” Fatimah told a press conference today.

She said one of the conditions stipulated for licence renewal is the operator must have a permanent address, but the centre has been relocated many times over the past few years.

The Welfare Department last inspected the premises on July 10 this year and found 18 children residing there.

Fatimah also said that she had previously visited the centre.

She revealed that the Health Department has been directed to inspect the centre following the recent allegations surrounding GISBH centres in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

She added the operator has also been advised to renew the licence, adding the ministry will not hesitate to act against the centre for any non-compliance in terms of its operations.

Yesterday, inspector-general of police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said 96 bank accounts linked to GISBH worth RM581,552.31 have been frozen by the authorities.

The police had on Sept 11 raided charity homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, rescuing 402 individuals aged between one and 17 years.

From a preliminary screening, Razarudin was reported as saying 13 of the child victims were sodomised, on top of other cases of physical and emotional abuse.