By Sofia Nasir
SHAH ALAM, Sept 24 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari will seek an audience with Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj over the GISB Holdings (GISBH) issue.
Amirudin said his weekly meeting with the ruler will cover matters concerning the state’s administration.
“Today, I will (seek an audience with the Sultan), but matters to do with Islam are fundamentally under His Royal Highness’ authority. His Royal Highness called on the Selangor Islamic Religious Council, Selangor Islamic Religious Department, and police a few days ago.
“I was also informed on the matter. We are acting aggressively,” he told the media after the Selangor Budget 2025 dialogue session at Setia City Convention Centre here today.
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A welfare home in Subang shuttered by the Social Welfare Department after it was raided in the wake of GISB Holdings’ child exploitation and abuse raids, on September 14, 2024. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
He said it was difficult to detect GISBH’s activities as the group operated via businesses and only involved relatives of its members.
Amirudin added that GISBH members face strict action under state syariah law.
“We were told (GISBH activities) have been underway since 2013. If we knew about them earlier, of course we would have acted earlier. Now, all parties are involved in the matter,” he said.
On Saturday, Sultan Sharafuddin ordered religious authorities and police to act against GISBH.
His Royal Highness said all GISBH-linked welfare homes and religious schools that are unregistered or suspected of being involved in syariah crime will be shuttered, and urged the Selangor Fatwa Committee to look into the group’s activities.
GISBH was mired in controversy after 20 premises linked to the firm, including care centres and welfare homes under its management, were raided by police on September 10.
In the raid, dubbed Op Global, police rescued 402 children aged one to 17 and arrested 171 people for further investigation.
Yesterday, police rescued four siblings, aged six to 11, from a welfare home in Tapah, Perak, who were taken from their father in 2021. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that also found at the home was a child, believed to be a victim of abuse, who was rescued after a video of him being beaten by a GISBH member went viral on social media.
