KUALA LUMPUR: Earlier this month, police, in a crackdown known as Op Global, rescued 402 minors believed to be the children of members of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) from 20 welfare homes associated with the organisation.
Based on investigations, the children are believed to have been physically and sexually abused, including being sodomised by their caregivers.
They were also taught the act of sodomy and forced to sodomise other children in the home.
Following the raid, at least 171 individuals linked to the case have been arrested, including a member of GISBH who is also the son of former Al-Arqam leader Ashaari Mohammad. However, what is the relationship between Al-Arqam and GISBH?
What is Al-Arqam? Founded in 1968, Al-Arqam started in a 'Rumah Putih' (white house) in Keramat, where meetings were held by its members.
Led by Ashaari Mohammad, a former government religious teacher, the group established a self-sustaining village in 1975 that included schools, houses, and mosques based on Islamic principles.
The group also formed ties with the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement, where Ashaari was even offered the presidency.
Why was Al-Arqam banned? At its height, Al-Arqam reportedly attracted more than 60,000 members, mostly from low-income and middle-class Malays, but it also had a sizeable following among professionals and university students.
In 1986, controversy arose over one of Ashaari's books, which claimed that the Prophet Muhammad and the four caliphs could be physically and consciously encountered in the real world.
He also implied that he was a direct descendant of the Prophet and instructed his followers to address him as Syeikh Abuya Iman Ashaari Muhammad At-Tamini, or simply Abuya.
The group was banned by the government in 1994 due to religious deviations. In the same year, Ashaari was arrested in Thailand and was under house arrest in Rawang and Labuan under the Internal Security Act until 2004. He died in 2010 from a lung infection.
How are Al-Arqam and GISBH related? When Ashaari established the Al-Arqam village, the group expanded into various business activities both locally and abroad.
Later, it rebranded as Rufaqa Corp and eventually became Global Ikhwan Group before Ashaari's death.
Today, GISBH has assets worth RM325 million and an annual revenue of RM187 million, operating in 20 countries worldwide.
It runs supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, factories, and restaurants, including outlets in major cities such as London, Paris, and Dubai, while owning accommodations in Turkey, a hotel in Sarajevo, and a 120-acre estate in Perth, Australia.
While GISBH has denied connections to the welfare homes and the accusations of child abuse, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain stated that its members have been practising the banned 'Aurad Muhammadiah' used by Ashaari.