ALOR STAR: A charity tahfiz centre in Sungai Petani was ordered closed because it had been operating without permission and was believed to have used children to collect donations in the name of the religion to draw sympathy from the public.
Chairman of the state Health, Rural Development, Religion and Government-Linked Companies Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh said investigations revealed that the centre which was operating as a charity organisation which was not registered under Section 5 of the Care Centres 1993 (Amendment) 2007.
“So, we urge the public not to be duped by the activities of this centre which was using children to gain sympathy,“ he said in a press conference today.
Yesterday, a three-minute-37-second video went viral on the WhatsApp application which said 211 poor orphans had been ordered to vacate their lodgings and also showed young girls crying as they were told to leave.
Ismail said the centre had contravened Section 69 (4) of the Administration of Islamic Law (Kedah Darul Aman) Enactment 2008 for soliciting charity without permission.
“Our investigations found that the centre’s management used children to get donations without the permission of the Kedah Islamic Religious Department,“ he said. — Bernama
