PUCHONG: As 65-year-old Shamsuri Omar prepared to return from early morning prayers, little did he expect to see the drama that unfolded before him as police raided a welfare home located in front of his shop.
"I was shocked when the welfare home that had been operating since 2004 was closed this morning," said the Puchong resident.
He said he noticed a police "Black Maria" truck in front of his shop in Kampung Sri Aman, early Wednesday (Sept 11) morning.
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"I saw children from the charity home being taken by the police.
"I was told they were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Center (Pulapol) to be documented," he told Sinar Harian.
Shamsuri said that there were about 80 girls, mostly teenagers, residing in the home.
He said residents of the home did not interact much with their neighbours and kept to themselves within the compound but some did occasionally patronise his shop.
"We did not pay much attention to what went on in the home because they do not mingle with others," he said.
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Another resident, Shahril Mokhtar, 46, said there was talk that someone had died at the home as many people were seen at the compound early Wednesday.
However, he said he saw many police officers there.
"I found out about the police operation to rescue residents of the home.
"By noon, the operation to evacuate the residents was completed," he added.
He also said he believed that there was another home for boys nearby run by the same organisation.
He added that the compound of the other home also housed a horse-breeding operation.
