Former Human Resources Minister faces corruption charges

Former Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan is expected to be charged with corruption today in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. The charges stem from alleged bribery linked to the recruitment of foreign workers while he led the ministry.

Saravanan confirmed the impending charges in a statement yesterday. He is reportedly facing accusations under Section 16 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act. This section penalizes individuals who solicit or accept bribes in exchange for official favors or transactions.

The MACC has reportedly obtained permission to proceed with the prosecution. The case is believed to be connected to an investigation into allegations of payments made to ministry officials to ensure specific contractors retained their foreign worker recruitment contracts. The MACC's investigation has also involved financial tracking to trace any illicit money flows.

This development follows a period of public scrutiny, with rumors circulating in 2023 about a former minister and an official from the ministry being questioned by the MACC. Saravanan had previously denied these allegations, stating he had no information about any arrests related to the investigation. The investigation reportedly focused on claims of millions of ringgit paid to ministry officials to influence these contracts.