PUTRAJAYA: A father has denied allegations that the children detained during Op Global, involving Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holding (GISB), are illegitimate.
The father, who wished to be identified only as Haqi, 38, said that he was at a GISB charity home in Sepang with his wife and their four children, aged 11, 10, 8, and 7, during the raid.
Hailing from Sabah, Haqi has been living at the centre for the past two years as a volunteer, assisting with various tasks.
Due to a gastrointestinal perforation, he was only able to perform light duties, while his wife also contributed as a volunteer.
"We were detained along with our four children, who were studying at the centre, and were separated after our release," he said at a press conference by the Gerakan Pulangkan Anak-Anak Kami here, today.
Yesterday, the media reported that the Social Welfare Department was prepared to return the children associated with GISB to their parents if proper documents, such as birth certificates and identification cards, were provided.
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that some of the rescued children lacked identification documents and claimed they had never met their parents or families.
Haqi said that he was detained for 14 days, while his wife was held for seven days due to suspected cancer-related health issues.
After their release, they were unaware of their children's whereabouts and contacted the Social Welfare Department multiple times before receiving a response.
"We hope our children will be returned to us, as we are currently traumatised by the uncertainty of their situation. I provided the original copies of their birth certificates to the department during the operation, and we also have certified copies," he added.