SHAH ALAM: Given the severity of various problems afflicting the children rescued from the Global Ikhwan Service and Business (GISB) Holdings care homes, they will need at least one year to overcome their ordeal, says Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Mentri Besar said the early estimation has indicated that the children will need the extra time to be rehabilitated in terms of welfare, education, health and religious practice.
He said the state’s legal guardianship of the children ends today.
“But it has been extended until January next year.
“The four months (that was given) are too short. Ideally, these children should continue to be under our care but we will respect the legal restrictions,’’ he told a press conference held by the GISB Children Rehabilitation Special Task Force yesterday.
Some 402 minors were rescued from various children’s homes managed by GISB when the organisation was investigated and its premises raided by the authorities recently.
Out of the rescued children, Amirudin disclosed that 26.8% were stunted, 6.8% acutely stunted, 13.6% underweight and 7.9% extremely underweight.
At least 14% of the children have hearing problems, 8% have vision problems, two have heart problems, 4.3% suffer from fine motor skills, 22% have speech problems, eight have learning issues, two are autistic, one has dyslexia and three others have cerebral palsy. Seventy-eight children who underwent screening have depression.
Amirudin also said educational assessments carried out found the children had a good grasp of Bahasa Malaysia and mathematics but have problems with English and history. He said eight of the children are not able to do regular academics as they are special needs children.
At the same event, Amirudin also handed over a cheque for RM100,000 to the Darul Ehsan Islamic Foundation for a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for the children.
On another matter pertaining to the GISB children, he said 200 more children placed at facilities in another state will be brought back to Selangor.
It is believed that these children were taken to Negri Sembilan after they were rescued due to a shortage of children’s homes in Selangor.
“We will find suitable locations for them, including universities or training centres that are under our administration,’’ he added.
