Indian-origin Malaysian minister denies sex scam charges

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 17, 2010:

An Indian-origin minister in the Malaysian federal government has denied charges by a political opponent that he was involved in a sex racket and drug trafficking.

Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister M. Saravanan has been accused of supplying college girls to prominent people for sex and engaging in drug trafficking.

Terming the allegation as baseless, Sarvanan said: "I have no knowledge about it and it's just an attack to destroy my political career and image."

Saravanan said he had no reason to be afraid or hide anything. "I'm leaving it to the police to investigate. I'm sure they will get to the truth."

"Besides, I was told the allegation was made by a politician from the opposition and not the so-called victim," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Though Saravanan did not name the politician, The Star newspaper quoted Federal CID Director Bakri Zinin as saying that police were investigating a report lodged by M.S. Arjunan, branch chief of opposition party Parti Keadalan Rakyat (PKR) in Kampung Tawas in Perak state, who claimed he had received a letter by mail recently.

"I hope the person who wrote the letter will come forward and lodge a police report," the official said, adding that police needed some time to study the letter and investigate.

Arjunan claimed he received a letter in Perak's capital Ipoh from a victim.

The letter states that Saravanan allegedly rented a house in Gombak for female students of an institution of higher learning and sent them to hotels and to people who have traditional Malaysian titles like Datuk and Tan Sri for prostitution.

"No one is above the law, not me or the person who lodged the report and the author of the letter. I have no knowledge whatsoever on the alleged supply of girls or drugs as alleged in the letter," the CID official said.

Saravanan, a former member of the Senate, the upper house of parliament, contested the Tapah seat in Perak state and became a minister in 2008. He belongs to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a constituent of the ruling Barisan Nasional alliance.

Malaysia is home to 1.7 million ethnic Indians, who settled here during the British era.