Melaka police chief Zainol Samah said the 40-year-old founder of the tahfiz centre and his brother, a 36-year-old hostel warden were arrested following six police reports lodged against them.

“Six students at the centre, aged between 13 and 15, lodged the reports at the Batang Tiga police station last night,” he said in a statement today.

He said the suspects were arrested this afternoon at the Tanjong Minyak Tahfiz Centre.

Zainol said three of the students reported being forced to perform oral sex on the centre’s founder, while the rest claimed that they were physically abused by the hostel warden who slapped, punched, stepped on and whipped them for not completing their duty to clean the centre on time.

These incidents were said to have occurred at the Tanjung Minyak and Alor Gajah centres as well as at a condominium in Klebang several times, he said, adding the victims claimed the last time it happened was on May 7.

“For the time being, the tahfiz centre is still operating as usual. The founder has a previous criminal record for committing physical sexual abuse and sodomy in 2019,” he said.

Zainol said police will apply for remand orders tomorrow to hold the suspects in custody.