MIC Leader Exposed As Sex Predator. Here's How Politicians Responded To The Scandal
His indecent behaviour came to light after his conversation with a woman, in which he offered to help her teenage daughter secure a job if she has sex with him, went viral on social media.
By Samantha Khor — 02 Nov 2017, 06:43 PM
An MIC branch leader is being accused of soliciting sex from young women after a recording of his telephone conversation with a woman, in which he promised to get her daughter a job in exchange for sex, went viral
According to Malaysiakini, the 56-year-old politician - who is also a Tamil school teacher - allegedly bragged that to the woman that he had helped a lot of girls who had just completed SPM to secure employment after sleeping with them.
The news portal reported that the eight-minute 49-second audio clip was circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook.
The unnamed man also allegedly told the mother that if her teenage daughter is not interested, he will drop the offer as "there are a lot of other girls waiting"
"Please tell me the timing and where, and how long the session can last. If she's not interested, please tell me, I will drop this offer, as there are a lot of other girls waiting," he said, as quoted by Malaysiakini.
He also told the mother that it would be a one-off encounter. Once he'd successfully secured a job for her daughter, they would be strangers.
"Don't waste this wonderful opportunity," he added.
Though he initially denied the claims, the man has since admitted that he made the telephone call to the woman. He has also quit his post and is no longer a member of MIC.
According to The Sun Daily, Kuala Selangor deputy police chief DSP Asri Wahab confirmed that the police have received several police reports made against the man, including that of the woman, MIC members, former Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, and PKR Waniter leader Mariana Abdullah, with the latter two urging police to arrest the teacher for investigation.
DSP Asri said that investigations are still ongoing and that the police have yet to apprehend the man.
In the aftermath of the exposé, several politicians have said their piece about the case. Here's how key MIC leaders and other politicians responded to the scandal:
1. In a video leaked from a meeting with the man, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk M. Saravanan said that he "actually did not want anyone to know about this"
Screencap from video of a meeting between the accused and Datuk M. Saravanan.
Image via Yesbook Facebook"If I don't deal with this today, this issue would only get worse tomorrow. It's already viral on social media. I actually didn't want anyone to know about this," Saravanan was heard saying in a video that has gone viral on social media.
According to Malaysiakini, the man was accompanied by his wife in the meeting with the minister and several MIC members at the party's headquarters.
2. Saravanan also urged the man to see a doctor for his "sickness" because the 56-year-old said "he had mental problems and did not realise what he was doing"
"You are sick. This is a sickness. Listen to me. The sickness may become worse, you know where it will lead? To peek at your own children when they are sleeping.
"A lot of people who rape their daughters, it's not because of sexual urges, but because of this sickness," Saravanan was quoted to have told the man in a video clip of the meeting.
According to Malaysiakini, Saravanan revealed that the meeting took place at MIC headquarters' services centre in Kuala Lumpur.
3. MIC treasurer-general S. Vell Paari: "I want to make it crystal clear that resigning from the party is not a 'get out of jail' card for (the suspect)"
"I have been informed that he had done this earlier, about three years ago, and was caught and assaulted. At that time, he promised to change his ways, but apparently, this never happened," Vell Paari said in a statement, as quoted by Malaysiakini.
"In my opinion, using your influence on a desperate victim for sex, with promises of opportunities, is also a form of rape, and should be punished accordingly," he added.
4. Vell Paari also called on MIC members to not get involved in the case and said that he will push for an internal investigation to determine whether there was a cover-up of the man's indecent behaviour
"We should let the police and the authorities do their job. It is not in our power to settle this issue between the victims' families and this man. We are neither the police, court or attorney-general.
What he did was wrong and there is no compromise. This man must be dealt with the full force of the law,” he said, adding that MIC should focus on helping those who had fallen prey to the former branch leader.
Expressing puzzlement that no one has come forward despite evidence that the sexual assaults have been happening for at least four years, Vell Paari also said that he will push for an internal investigation to determine if anyone knew about the man's sickening activities but chose to remain silent.
5. Denouncing the man's actions against women, Wanita MIC Chief Dato' Mohana Muniandy urged the police to stern action against him and for the Education Ministry to "immediately sack him from his post"
In a statement e-mailed to the press, she wrote:
"I would like to stress that Wanita MIC do not condone sexual harassment or mistreatment of women in any form. Victim after victim, year after year, settlement after settlement, many sexual predators got away with it. This is not OK and not to be tolerated. Police reports from different quarters are being lodged against this perpetrator. We strongly urge the police and relevant authorities to take stern action against Nadaraja. Also, Ministry of Education should immediately sack him from his post.
No matter how willing or provocative a minor was, an adult, mature man should never give in to such taunts and should immediately walk away. Do not give excuses such as drunk or temporary insanity to escape from punishment. Men should understand that when they participate in sexual offences involving minors, they are actually committing a crime against their own mothers, their own family members and just womanhood in general.
Respect women for the right reasons."
6. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan confirmed that the 56-year-old teacher has been transferred out of the Tamil school he was teaching in
According to Kamalanathan, the man is currently assigned to desk duty at the Education Department pending investigation into the accusations against him.
7. In light of several police reports that have been made against the man, Kapar MP G. Manivannan urged police to investigate the man for attempted rape and abuse of power
"The police should probe the cases under the provision of rape, attempted rape and abuse of power because the case involved students," Malaysiakini quoted Manivannan as saying at Dewan Rakyat today.
He also questioned why the police have yet to take action against the man as well as Datuk M. Saravanan's explanation that the man is mentally-ill.
"Who is he to conduct an investigation? Since when has he become a psychologist and investigation officer?" he asked.
8. Klang MP Charles Santiago said that the government should introduce mandatory pre-employment screening for jobs that involve children and minors
"It's frightening that he has been off the radar for this long, despite boasting having indulged in such liaisons over the last four years. It's therefore pertinent to make a pre-employment screening and police checks mandatory for teachers, volunteers and others who work with children or have access to them.
The government must also look into a sex offenders registry and ensure that sexual predators and paedophiles have access to mental health counselling," he said, as quoted by New Straits Times.