MALAYSIA: In a major crackdown, Malaysian police have arrested several members of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) top management, including CEO Nasiruddin Ali and his wife.

The arrests were made in a special operation conducted by Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department at multiple locations.

As of 19 September, total of 19 people were detained, including the CEO’s two children and the child of former Al-Arqam leader Ashaari Muhammad.

Among those arrested are 12 men and seven women, aged between 30 and 65.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain confirmed the arrests and promised to provide updates soon.

The arrests come on the heels of a significant child sexual abuse scandal involving GISBH.

Last week, police rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes linked to the organization in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

They also arrested 171 people, including an ustaz and a hostel warden.

The case sent shockwaves throughout the country as investigations revealed a horrifying network of child abuse.

At least 13 of the rescued children were allegedly sodomized or taught to sexually assault others.

GISBH initially denied operating the welfare homes and rejected the allegations of abuse.

However, Nasiruddin later admitted that cases of sodomy had occurred within the organization in the past, while denying any deviant teachings.

In a related development, three men linked to GISBH pleaded not guilty in a Seremban court to charges of sexually assaulting boys aged between nine and 11 at a religious school associated with the organisation.

The alleged assaults took place between 2022 and 2023 in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan.

Additionally, another man was charged in Putrajaya for allegedly threatening a woman to withdraw a police report against GISBH.

A programme manager at the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) in Singapore was charged on Friday (13 September) with leaking sensitive project information to another individual, including details of a S$3 million (US$2.3 million) budget for a renovation project.

Hsu Yee Chern, a 52-year-old Singaporean, faces four counts under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for allegedly communicating confidential information obtained through his role at DSTA to Tan Kian Meng, a 46-year-old project manager.

Tan, who worked for a company involved in business with DSTA, was similarly charged with four counts for receiving this classified information between December 2018 and May 2019.

DSTA, the central procurement agency for the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces, oversees various high-value projects. According to charge sheets, Hsu shared confidential details on multiple projects, including tender results and financial evaluations.

According to media reports, Hsu allegedly informed Tan on 3 December 2018 that three companies had failed in their bids for a project to renovate toilets in four blocks along Clementi Loop.

On 12 March 2019, Hsu disclosed to Tan that DSTA’s budget for a power upgrading and renovation project at Stagmont Road was S$3 million. The following month, on 5 April 2019, Hsu provided Tan with confidential findings on a company’s tender price and cable size for the Stagmont Road project.

Additionally, on 3 May 2019, Hsu allegedly shared with Tan information about a construction company’s poor financial health in relation to its bid for addition and alteration works on four blocks at Sungei Gedong Road.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) confirmed the details of these charges in a statement. Both men are currently out on S$10,000 bail, with Tan’s next court appearance scheduled for 20 September, while Hsu is due to return on 11 October.

If convicted under the OSA, they could face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.