Former Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan pleaded not guilty today to three corruption charges involving RM1.097 million allegedly received in exchange for approving foreign worker quota applications.
The 58-year-old MIC deputy president is accused of accepting the money on three separate occasions in 2022 to facilitate applications for 1,000 foreign worker quotas for TYKB Engineering Sdn Bhd.
According to the charges, Saravanan allegedly received RM150,000 and RM350,000 in cash from Vectica Resources Sdn Bhd director Tan Teck Lim, 65, through Syed Amirul Syed Ahmad, 38.
The payments were allegedly made as an inducement or reward for Saravanan to approve TYKB Engineering’s foreign worker quota applications.
The first alleged offence took place at a golf and country resort in Bukit Jalil on June 16, 2022, while the second allegedly occurred in Bangsar on July 7, 2022.
For the third charge, Saravanan is accused of accepting a RM597,000 cheque from Tan through Syed Amirul. The cheque was subsequently deposited into a Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Big Seven Ventures Sdn Bhd.
The third alleged offence is said to have taken place at a bank in Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desa, on July 7, 2022.
The charges were filed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. If convicted, Saravanan faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the amount of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Saravanan appeared composed in the dock as he entered his plea after the charges were read before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi.
He served as human resources minister from March 2020 to November 2022 and is currently the four-term Tapah MP.
Saravanan was represented by lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, while MACC senior deputy director of the Legal and Prosecution Division Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib led the prosecution.
MIC president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran and Saravanan’s wife, Datin Seri Kavitha Vivekanandan, were also present during the proceedings.
