KUALA LUMPUR: The group of lawyers seeking legal action against the government regarding the rescued children from homes linked to Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) has the right to do so.
Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said Malaysia was a democratic country and the lawyers have "every right" to seek legal recourse if they disagreed with the police's actions.
"We (also) have the right to do our work, let them do their work. Let the legal process go on," he told reporters at a press conference today.
It was recently reported that a group of lawyers was considering legal action against the government over alleged misconduct involving children rescued from charity homes run by GISB.
The lawyers involved are Nizam Bashir Abdul Kariem Bashir, Rizal Abdullah, Dorina Abdullah, Hizri Hasshan, Muhammad Shahrin Satheer, and Asmawati Mohd Shuaib.
They said, according to multiple sources, these separations had occurred outside the boundaries of legal protocol, including those outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
They also reminded the authorities to conduct investigations strictly in accordance with the law and established procedures.
GISB has been at the centre of police investigations since Sept 11, when raids on 20 of its allegedly operated welfare homes led to the rescue of 402 children.
Further medical screenings revealed that many of these children suffered physical and emotional abuse, with 13 reportedly being sodomised.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, GISBH has denied any involvement in child exploitation or sexual abuse.