Medical groups call for children’s commission after nursing home raid

Two medical groups and the former chairman of another group have called on the government to set up a separate children’s commission after 402 children from 20 homes were rescued by a company.

The Malaysian Pediatric Association (MPA) and the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (AAPA) said the case was of great concern and showed that the relevant ministries and agencies lacked the sense of urgency to ensure the protection and care of children.

MPA President Dr Ikram Ilias and AAPA Secretary General Dr Zulkifli Ismail said Putrajaya must do more to invest in the health and wellbeing of future generations.

We urge the unity government to urgently establish an independent children’s commission. We have also urged the government to seriously consider appointing a minister for children and youth,

they said in a statement.

The statement was also endorsed by former chairman of the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia, Dr Musa Nordin.

The three doctors also called for an anonymous reporting system for both children and adults, so that suspicions of abuse or exploitation can come to light.

They also discussed the need for greater health literacy, including in reproductive health, among children so that they can recognise the signs of sexual abuse and know where to seek help.

The government should provide victims with holistic care, including medical, psychological and social support to help them recover and reintegrate into society, by establishing long-term monitoring and support systems to ensure that they do not return to exploitative situations.

they said.

They said any form of abuse would have long-lasting psychological effects on children, leading to social, behavioural and even mental health problems as they grow into adults.

On Wednesday, police raided 20 nursing homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan that authorities linked to Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holdings (GISBH). Police also arrested 171 people, including an ustaz and a hostel manager.

Research has shown that at least 13 of the 402 rescued children were victims of sodomy or were taught to sexually assault others.

According to police inspector Razarudin Husain, some children were victims of sodomy while others were taught to sexually abuse others.

GISBH later denied that it ran the nursing homes that were raided and denied that children in its care were sodomized or forced to sexually assault others.

However, earlier today, GISBH CEO Nasiruddin Ali admitted that there had been cases of sodomy within the organisation in the past, saying that these cases were only discussed internally. – FMT