Amid brewing controversy, Sungai Siput MP denies sexually harassing woman

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan came out today saying he is the Perak federal lawmaker accused of sexual harassment by a woman.

However, the PKR politician denied the woman’s claims, adding that she was never his aide as she portrayed herself to be, but that she had taken advantage of him and his family and tried to disrupt his household.

“I acknowledge a malicious police report was made against me by a woman who claimed to be my parliamentary research officer,” he said in a statement.

“If indeed I was sexually harassing her, why then was she still calling me multiple times daily until early this month? She was still calling my wife up until several weeks ago,” he added.

Kesavan said he and his wife have records to show how the woman was harassing him instead of the other way around.

The MP said he has filed a police report against the woman, and will cooperate in all investigations.

He has roped in his lawyers and they will deal with any legal action, saying he did not want to make things worse for the woman whom he said is married with two children.

Kesavan said he was first contacted by the woman in 2017 when he was serving as Hutan Melintang assemblyman and that she offered to help him with the controversy surrounding the import of phantom voters into the state constituency.

“She said she wanted to assist my campaign, claiming she is a lawyer and is close with Perak MIC chairman Datuk V. Elango, who was running for the seat at the time as well,” he said.

He said he accepted her offer as a volunteer then, as he had with many others who volunteered their assistance to him.

Kesavan said that after he became Sungai Siput MP following the 14th general election in May last year, the woman said she wished to continue serving him as a volunteer despite living in Puchong, Selangor.

However, he said he grew uncomfortable with the woman’s behaviour as the months went by as she went from being a friend to both he and his wife to obsessive.

He said the woman started to claim herself as his special assistant, meddled in his work both at his service centre operations in Sungai Siput and Perak district government officials to issue them orders, ostensibly on his behalf.

“She also pressed to be given a pass to accompany me to parliamentary meetings. I gave a letter to the Parliament security administration to let her into the compound. She used that letter to claim she has been appointed as my assistant,” Kesavan said.

Kesavan said the woman started increasing the frequency of phone calls to him, and that it disrupted his family life.

“If I did not pick them up she would get angry, and if I did the conversations could go on for at least an hour,” he said.

He said that for the past one-and-a-half months, she began contacting other PKR leaders such as vice-president Rafizi Ramli and made complains about him, alleging to have recordings that would embarrass the Sungai Siput MP if they were revealed.

“I was under pressure by these threats, as I had witnessed how she attacked Elango last year with her audio recordings,” he said.

Kesavan said he finally filed a police complaint against the woman early this month after consulting Rafizi.

Buzz over a Perak MP allegedly sexually harassing a former aide grew following news reports of a police report filed by a woman who claimed her ex-boss would send her Kama Sutra illustrations and pornographic images.