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THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has clarified that no asset declaration notice was served on the 12-year-old son of former Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan, despite the child accompanying his family to the agency's headquarters.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman explained that while relevant statutory provisions do not specify age boundaries, the anti-graft agency exercised discretion and practical judgment in excluding the minor.
“Under the law, age categories are not specifically stated, whether someone is an adult or a child. What is stated pertains to relatives or associates. So, in the case of the 12-year-old child, we used discretion and judgment based on reasonableness. We decided not to serve the notice to his 12-year-old child, there was none served,” he said during a press conference following MACC’s 59th Anniversary Celebration today.
Abd Halim noted that MACC previously issued asset declaration notices to Saravanan, his wife, and his older children, although certain family members were unable to attend in person due to being overseas.
Addressing the young boy's physical presence at Putrajaya headquarters, the Chief Commissioner clarified that the child's attendance was purely incidental to accompanying his parents.
“The child's presence did not mean he came physically to receive a notice, but rather to accompany his parents. In other words, perhaps if they left the children at home, no one would be there. So, they came along as usual,” he explained.
Abd Halim added that the asset declaration notices were issued under Section 36(2) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, providing a standard 30-day compliance window that can be extended upon reasonable grounds.
The official clarification follows public statements from Saravanan's legal team questioning MACC's procedure and alleging an ethical breach regarding the child's presence.
Saravanan and his family attended MACC headquarters on Monday to collect the asset declaration notices, which stem from an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption concerning foreign worker quota approvals. - October 1, 2026
