Singapore restaurant linked to Malaysian firm in alleged child sodomy case denies involvement

SINGAPORE — A restaurant in North Bridge Road with ties to a Malaysian conglomerate embroiled in an alleged child abuse case in Malaysia has denied having direct involvement with the investigations.

In a statement on Facebook on Sept 15, Mihrimah Restaurant said that Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings, which has links to the religious sect Al-Arqam that is banned in Malaysia due to its deviant religious teachings, serves only as its business consultant.

The restaurant added that it is concerned about the potential reputational impact on its business due to the investigations. The eatery serves Malaysian-inspired dishes including roti canai.

The Malaysian police have rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan linked to GISB, where some children had allegedly been sodomised by their caregivers and forced to do the same to others.

Some children were also physically abused, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said on Sept 11.

GISB executive director Nasiruddin Mohd Ali has admitted that there were "one or two isolated cases of sodomy" in its midst, but denied accusations of human trafficking and slavery within the group.

GISB lists Mihrimah Restaurant among its worldwide branches on its website.

In its statement, Mihrimah Restaurant said it is an independent restaurant company, fully registered under the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and is owned by a Singapore citizen.

According to company records, Mihrimah Restaurant was incorporated on March 28, 2016, and it has two Singaporean owners.

The restaurant said GISB, as its business consultant, offers advisory services and support for the management of its restaurant operations in Singapore.

"We vehemently deny any direct business relationship with GISB apart from the above," it added.

The restaurant said it remains committed to conducting its business with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.

"We wish to emphasise that our business is independent and will continue to operate in full compliance with Singapore laws and regulations. We trust that this matter will be resolved fairly, and we remain hopeful for a positive outcome," Mihrimah Restaurant said. It added that it hopes the clarification will help to address any misunderstandings.

The police raids on the charity homes in Malaysia came after several Islamic leaders called on the government there to probe GISB's activities.

GISB has said it did not run the homes and has denied all allegations of abuse.

It acknowledges links to the religious sect Al-Arqam, which was banned in 1994, and names the sect's late preacher Ashaari Muhammad as its founder, but has largely sought to distance itself from the group's practices and beliefs, which the Malaysian government views as heretical.

In 2011, GISB made headlines for its controversial views on sex and marriage, which included encouraging polygamous families and setting up the Obedient Wives' Club, a group that called on wives to submit to their spouses "like prostitutes".

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.