KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) did not serve an asset declaration notice on former human resources minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan’s 12-year-old son, its chief commissioner said today, after the politician complained that the child had been drawn into the asset declaration process.

Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the commission exercised its discretion in deciding not to issue the notice to the boy, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“Under the law, there is no specific age category stated, whether a person is an adult or a child. What is stated is in relation to relatives or associates.

“So, in the case of the 12-year-old child, we exercised our discretion and judgment based on what was reasonable,” he told reporters after MACC’s 59th anniversary celebration in Putrajaya.

Abd Halim said MACC had previously issued notices to Saravanan, his wife and his children, although some of the former minister’s children were unable to attend because they were studying overseas.

“So, for those who were available, we proceeded to serve the notices first. But as for his 12-year-old child, we did not serve him with a notice,” he said.

He also clarified that the boy’s presence at MACC headquarters did not mean he had been summoned there to receive a notice.