NewzFormer human resources minister M Saravanan said requiring a child to be served a legal notice in person crossed the line of reasonable enforcement and reflected an excess of statutory power.PETALING JAYA: M Saravanan has criticised the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) justification for the presence of his 12-year-old son at the agency’s headquarters on Monday as “entirely illogical”, saying there was no need to involve a minor in the matter.The former human resources minister said for an agency wielding “significant investigative powers”, the failure to exercise basic discretion and common sense regarding a 12-year-old child was deeply regrettable.“The chief commissioner’s claim that the children ‘had no one left at home’ and therefore ‘came along as usual’ is both irrelevant and dismissive.“It deflects from the administrative oversight of requiring a minor to set foot at an anti-corruption headquarters for official investigative procedures,” said Saravanan.Earlier, MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said the anti-graft agency exercised its discretion and “considered what was reasonable” in deciding not to serve an asset declaration notice on Saravanan’s son.He said the 12-year-old’s presence at the MACC headquarters did not mean he was there to receive a notice related to the investigation.Utusan Malaysia also reported Halim as saying that Saravanan’s children were likely present because there was no one at home to care for them.However, Saravanan questioned why MACC did not exercise its discretion much earlier, saying that requiring a child to be served a legal notice in person crossed the line of reasonable enforcement and reflected an excess of statutory power.He had similarly criticised MACC before going to the headquarters with his family on Monday, saying the asset declaration notice purportedly meant to be served on his son could have been served through him as the parent. MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said while the law does not specify an age category for those who may be issued such notices, the anti-graft agency exercised its discretion in the case of former minister M Saravanan’s son. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied serving an asset declaration notice on the 12-year-old son of former human resources minister M Saravanan.MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said while the law does not specify an age category for those who may be issued such notices, the anti-graft agency exercised its discretion in the case of Saravanan’s son."Under the law, there is no specific age category stated, whether a person is an adult or a child.
What is stated is in relation to relatives or associates."So, in the case of the 12-year-old, we exercised our discretion and considered what was reasonable. We decided not to serve a notice on his 12-year-old son," Harian Metro quoted him as saying.Halim said MACC previously issued notices to Saravanan, his wife and his children, although some family members were unable to appear as they were overseas.He said the 12-year-old’s presence at the MACC headquarters did not mean he was there to receive a notice related to the investigation."The child was not physically present to receive a notice. He was merely accompanying his parents," he said.Former minister P Waytha Moorthy previously accused MACC of abusing its powers by allegedly requiring Saravanan’s 12-year-old son to appear at its headquarters to receive the notice.Saravanan and members of his family went to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Monday to receive notices requiring them to declare their assets.Saravanan had questioned MACC’s decision to summon his 12-year-old son, arguing that the notice could have been served through him as the child’s parent.The notices were issued as part of MACC’s investigation into Saravanan over alleged corruption involving the approval of foreign worker quotas.
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