PETALING JAYA: A picture of MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan with a gun tucked into his trousers has gone viral on social media, and the politician has confirmed that he does carry a gun.
“I am a licensed gun owner and I always carry it with me,” he told The Star on Friday.
The Deputy Youth and Sports Minister said every member of parliament was entitled to carry a gun, and that he has had his since 2003, when he was first appointed as a senator.
A picture of Saravanan, with a gun tucked into his trousers, was circulated on social media on Friday.
The photograph is believed to have been taken on Wednesday, before a scheduled press conference at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
“Unfortunately, that day my coat button gave way and a pixman took a picture of it.
“Only a part of the handle was seen. I was not pointing the gun at anyone, nor was there any untoward incident,” he said.
Saravanan added that those who had spread the picture were only looking for “publicity”.