The Registrar of Societies announced today the controversial Mercy Welfare Society which runs homes and care centres for adults and children will have its registration revoked.

The organisation which runs the Mercy Welfare Home, has not complied with ROS regulations, according to a spokesperson who declined to be named.

"The Mercy Welfare Society registered with the ROS in 1999 but to date they have not sent statements on the minutes of their annual general meeting, the list of the committee members or even their account sheets," the spokesperson said at the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

She added that the ROS, which falls under the Home Ministry, would usually send out letters, reminders and notices before informing a society to close down.

"We have sent them all this but they have not replied," the spokesperson told reporters after meeting with commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan.

Beaten with wires

Hamdan met with officials from ROS, the Welfare Department and former volunteers of the Mercy Welfare Society this morning after a complaint was filed last Tuesday alleging human rights abuses against inmates of the controversial home.

The Mercy Welfare Society, run by its president Indra Shan and her son Danial Paul, gained media attention when ex-volunteers at the home alleged that children were being beaten with wires and aged inmates, denied medical attention.

According to former volunteers, children who complained about their conditions were either beaten or put in solitary confinement in a dark room.

The home was also accused of forcing its children to pack drinks for a well-known beverage company and sew buttons for baju melayu.

The Welfare Department subsequently announced that the home was in fact not registered with the department.

On July 13, the Welfare Department removed 23 children from the homes and admitted them into Hospital Kuala Lumpur for medical checks and treatment.

Federal Territory Welfare Department director NM Pillai added that his officers were constantly monitoring the homes, totalling six, after telling Indra not to take in any more inmates.

"We have told her previously not to take in any more children or adult inmates," Pillai said.

Home being monitored

According to Pillai, there were still 21 adult inmates at the home, 18 men and three women.

However, he did not state if the remaining inmates would be taken out. He told reporters that the Welfare department was "closely monitoring" the remaining inmates.

"We will try to accommodate her (Indra Shan) as well. We will give her the benefit of the doubt and we are monitoring them, but if we are not satisfied, we will take action and lodge a report against her," he added.

Commissioner Hamdan stressed that proper monitoring should be carried out to curb the repeat of abuses.

"It is critical that these homes be monitored properly; if [abuses are] not curbed in the early stages, the victims would be the children or the aged," Hamdan said.

Indra, the director of the homes, would be called to meet with Suhakam commissioners next Friday.