PUTRAJAYA: A married couple today claim they were victims of circumstances when their four children were taken by the authorities in an operation involving GISB Holdings (GISB) last month.
The couple, who want to be known only as Uwais, 37, and Maria, 36, from Bandar Country Homes, Rawang, denied being members of GISB.
They said it was purely coincidental that they were renting in the GISB area.
Recalling the details of their arrest, Uwais said they were detained at their home along with their four children, aged 15, 12, 8 and 4.
Uwais, who works as a limousine driver at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, said they had been renting a shoplot in the area for the past eight years because of the affordable rent of RM275 per month.
"We are victims of the situation and deny being members of GISB," he said at a news conference.
Uwais said that they were detained for six days at the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam, while their child was detained for two days and separated from the parents.
He said that during their detention, the Social Welfare Department had instructed them to sign a document without providing an explanation of its contents.
He added that only after their release did they find out that the document they had signed was related to temporary custody of their child.
"We are confused because the custody of our child is now under my younger sister in Kuala Lumpur, following a court order issued by the Welfare Department."
Uwais said that although it had been a month since their release, they had not been able to see their children.
"We have tried to contact the department several times for clarification regarding our child, but our calls were not answered.
"We hope that our children can be returned to us soon because they need to attend school, and our youngest often cries and wants to come home to the family."