Former human resources minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has rejected the corruption allegations brought against him, describing the three charges as “wild accusations” and insisting that he was surprised to find himself facing them.
The Tapah MP made the remarks after claiming trial at the Sessions Court today, where he pleaded not guilty to all three charges involving an alleged total of RM1.097 million in bribes linked to the approval of foreign-worker quotas.
Saravanan said he would leave it to the court to examine the evidence and establish the facts surrounding the allegations.
“I was surprised with the charges. I won’t say they are baseless; I will say they are wild accusations. The facts will be brought in court,” he told reporters after the proceedings.
He also stressed that he did not have personal relationships with the individuals named in the charges. According to Saravanan, he did not know most of them and had no personal relationship even with Syed Amirul Syed Ahmad, who was allegedly involved in passing the payments.
Saravanan further appeared to suggest that the case could have a political dimension, challenging anyone seeking to weaken his political position to face him directly in the next election.
“If this is your method of trying to bring me down, then send your best candidate to contest me in Tapah. Don’t use these sorts of tactics to bring down a politician,” he said.
The MIC deputy president also expressed confidence that the evidence presented in court would ultimately speak for itself, saying he had no reason to feel ashamed over the charges.
“I don’t feel ashamed at all, as when the facts come out, you will be embarrassed. The people will see how you tried to accuse me with false evidence,” he said, without identifying who he was referring to.
Earlier, Saravanan, 58, pleaded not guilty to three allegations of corruptly accepting RM1.097 million in connection with the approval of 1,000 foreign-worker quotas for TYKB Engineering Sdn Bhd.
The first allegation concerns RM150,000 in cash which he was accused of receiving from Vectica Resources Sdn Bhd director Tan Teck Lim through Syed Amirul on June 16, 2022, at Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resorts.
He is also accused of receiving a further RM350,000 from Tan through Syed Amirul on July 7, 2022, at Jalan Telawi 3 in Bangsar.
The third charge relates to RM597,000 allegedly received from Tan through Syed Amirul on the same day through a Maybank Islamic cheque. The money was allegedly deposited into an account belonging to Big Seven Ventures Sdn Bhd.
All three charges were brought under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and carry penalties under Section 24(1) of the same legislation.
If convicted, Saravanan could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Saravanan, who is also MIC deputy president, served as human resources minister between 2020 and 2022.
