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Amid conflicting stories, police say probing witnesses in Perak MP’s alleged harassment first

Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan stepped up to publicly acknowledge that he is the Perak MP at the centre of the budding harassment controversy. — Picture by Farhan Najib
Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan stepped up to publicly acknowledge that he is the Perak MP at the centre of the budding harassment controversy. — Picture by Farhan Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 ― Faced with a she said-he said case, Selangor police will scrutinise several key people over allegations of sexual harassment involving a Perak MP.

“The case is being investigated under Section 354 and Section 509 of the Penal Code. Several witnesses are being investigated before any further action is taken,” Selangor CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said in a statement today.

Section 354 concerns the use of criminal force to intentionally outrage modesty and is punishable with a jail sentence of up to 10 years, or a fine, or whipping or a combination of any two of penalties prescribed.

Section 509 is a lesser charge but which criminalises the use of any word or gesture to insult the modesty of a person and is punishable with jail up to five years, a fine, or both.

The senior policeman also elaborated on the woman this time. Without disclosing her name, he said she is 47 years old and of Indian ethnicity and is said to be a former research officer and an ex-treasurer of the Sungai Siput PKR branch who filed a complaint on May 16, claiming to have been molested by a man said to be an MP several times since December 2018.

Two conflicting accounts have emerged.

Earlier today, national news agency Bernama reported Fadzil saying a woman had filed a police complaint against an unnamed Perak federal lawmaker for alleged sexual harassment by showing her pornographic images and illustrations from the Kama Sutra book.

Hours later, Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan stepped up to publicly acknowledge that he is the Perak MP at the centre of the budding harassment controversy, but with a twist.

He accused the woman whom he described as a lawyer, married with two children and living in Puchong, Selangor of harassing him and his family and interfering with his parliamentary duties by making false and malicious allegations.

The first-term MP from PKR said he too had filed a police report against the woman and offered full cooperation in any investigation.

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