PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) will close down religious schools linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) which were involved in recent police raids.
In a statement issued Saturday (Sept 14), Mais chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof stated that the order to shut down the schools is also based on viral videos which have linked GISB to the banned deviant Al-Arqam group in Selangor.
“The viral videos have linked GISB with the teachings and practices of Al-Arqam which was banned in Selangor under three fatwas (religious legal edicts) issued on Feb 4 in 1993, Aug 11 in 1994 and Dec 2 in 2006.
"The fatwas also ban any teachings and practices of any other teachings that have similarities to Al-Arqam.
“The religious enforcement officers and inspectorate for religious schools under the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) have been ordered to immediately investigate all charity homes and schools which are linked with GISB to ensure that no deviant teachings are propagated in these premises,” said Abdul Aziz.
He further said that if the schools were found to propagate deviant teachings, they would be deregistered and shut down under the state syariah laws.
Abdul Aziz said that Jais will offer full cooperation to the police, as the Selangor religious authorities fully supported the police to act against any abuse, including sexual harassment, in these schools under the laws.
The statement from the Mais chairman comes after the police raids on Sept 11, which saw the rescue of 402 minors and 171 individuals arrested from 20 premises linked to GISB.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain had said that the police had acted after reports of allegations of sexual harassment and grooming, as well as child abuse.
GISB leaders have spoken up, denying that such practices took place and that it was not a deviant group, as alleged by certain quarters.
