[UPDATED] Saravanan to face corruption charges tomorrow, maintains innocence

Former Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan is set to face corruption charges tomorrow, despite maintaining his innocence. In a letter dated Aug 24 to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Saravanan denied having any authority or involvement in the approval of foreign worker recruitment during his tenure as minister from March 2020 to November 2022.

He claimed that he and his family were not personally involved in the recruitment of foreign workers. According to the letter, Saravanan alleged that some individuals were pressured into implicating him. The letter also included several statutory declarations from witnesses who claimed they had been coerced by MACC officers. Saravanan identified two businessmen, Syed Amirul and Siva Ganesan, who were arrested in connection with the hiring of foreign workers.

He claimed that both men had been pressured to make statements against him, with Syed Amirul later signing a retraction and later dying, while Siva Ganesan suffers from chronic kidney disease. Saravanan maintained that he had no knowledge of the applications made to recruit foreign workers and had no contact with the shortlisted companies.

He also stated that MACC had returned Syed Amirul's RM10,000 bail and that the matter had been resolved with no further investigation against him. Saravanan is expected to be charged under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, which covers the solicitation, receipt, giving, promising or offering of gratification.