THERE is a peculiarity that is recognisably Malaysian. Here on this blessed piece of earth we call home, issues are neglected until they become crises.
Then, the finger-pointing starts in earnest. Thankfully, this is not always the case. Otherwise, we would be a nation of different shape. But still, the authorities missed an exigent issue, which has now become a grave crisis: child abuse of the unimaginable kinds at welfare homes allegedly linked to GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd, or Global Ikhwan Group.
There — 20 care homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan up to Wednesday — as the massive police-led multi-agency raid uncovered, sodomy, molest and abuse were allegedly rampant, according to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain. The disgust thickens.
The police allege that the children at the care homes were not only sodomised by the caretakers, but also taught to perform similar acts on other children there. Abuse took two other forms as well: as punishment for any wrongdoing, victims were allegedly scalded with heated metal objects or subjected to inappropriate touching under the guise of religious medical treatment.
The raids in the two states led to the arrest of 171 individuals, including caretakers, ustaz (religious teachers) and the chairmen of the premises.
Call it wicked welfare. Little wonder, they are being labelled horror homes. The situation is so perilous that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the police and religious authorities to speed up the probe into the GISB issue. GISB has denied the allegations, saying the homes weren't under its management and has threatened legal action.
Crisis doesn't just explode overnight. It grows over time, issues management experts tell us. First the smoke, only then the fire. Clearly, we missed the smoke and now we are forced to deal with the fire.
Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin seems to be one of those who had spotted the smoke, thanks to a study by a group on the alleged issue, which was presented to the Perlis Fatwa Committee.
Many were aware of the issue and yet there was a lack of action, he said in his weekly lecture video post from Masjid Alwi in Kangar.
Dr Maza, as he is popularly known, neither named the group which conducted the study nor the reasons for the lack of action by the authorities. But one thing he was clear about: we are dealing with members of a cult, not practitioners of the true faith of Islam.
Like cults everywhere in the world, the members of the Malaysian sect follow the leaders blindly. Islam, he told his listeners, doesn't allow wives to be separated from their husbands nor the children from their parents as they were in the case of the horror homes.
Dr Maza's message is this: the cult members need saving. To this we add: so must the rest of society. Deviant groups are dangerous. They not only undermine the religion, but also the national security of the country. Let's not rest assured that once a deviant group is banned, it is dead for good. The evolution of banned deviant groups, taking this and that form, is a lesson enough. Nip them in the bud, is our advice.