MACC denies serving asset declaration notice on Saravanan’s 12-year-old son

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has clarified that it did not serve an asset declaration notice to the 12-year-old son of former human resources minister M Saravanan. Chief Commissioner Abd Halim Aman stated that while the law does not specify an age category for such notices, MACC exercised its discretion in this case.

Under the law, there is no specific age category identified, whether an individual is an adult or a child; the focus is on relatives or associates. Halim confirmed that MACC had issued notices to Saravanan, his wife, and his children, though some family members were not available as they were abroad. The 12-year-old's presence at MACC headquarters was not for receiving the notice, as he was merely accompanying his parents.

This decision was made based on what was deemed reasonable. Former minister P Waytha Moorthy had accused MACC of abusing its powers by requiring Saravanan’s 12-year-old son to appear at the headquarters to receive the notice. Saravanan and his family visited MACC in Putrajaya on Monday to receive the notices, which were part of the agency's investigation into alleged corruption involving the approval of foreign worker quotas.