SHAH ALAM: The children rescued from Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) care homes will need more time to put their ordeal behind them given its severity, says Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Selangor Mentri Besar said authorities estimated that the children will need at least a year of rehabilitation that will involve welfare, education, health and religious aspects.
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The state’s legal guardianship of the children ends on Wednesday (Nov 20) but it has been extended to January, he added.
“The four months (given) is too brief.
“Ideally they should continue to be under our care but we will respect the legal restrictions,’’ he told a press conference by the GISB Children's Rehabilitation Special Task Force here on Tuesday (Nov 19).
A total of 402 minors were rescued from various children’s homes run by GISB during the authorities' Ops Global in September, with more saved in follow-up operations.
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Of the rescued children, Amirudin said 26.8% were diagnosed as stunted, 6.8% acutely stunted, 13.6% underweight and 7.9 % severely underweight.
He also said 14% of the children had hearing problems, 8% vision problems, two children had heart problems, 4.3% lacked fine motor skills, 22% had speech problems, eight children had learning issues, two were autistic, one had dyslexia and three had cerebral palsy.
Seventy-eight children who underwent screening were found to have depression, he added.
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At the same event, Amirudin also handed over an RM100,000 cheque to the Darul Ehsan Islamic Foundation (YIDE) to initiate a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for the children.
On a related matter, Amirudin said 200 more GISB children placed at facilities in another state will be brought back to Selangor.
It is believed these children were brought to Negri Sembilan after their rescue owing to a shortage of children’s homes in Selangor to take in all 402.
“We will find suitable locations for them including universities or training centres that are under state administration," he added.
