“I strongly reject the woman’s allegation that I committed indecent exposure. On the contrary, she was the one who provoked us by calling MIC members ‘pondan’,” said Sungai Siput MIC Youth deputy chief M Chandra Segaran.

“I call on the police to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident,” Malaysiakini quoted him as saying.

Chandra has lodged a police report to counter an earlier one lodged by the activist, claiming that the MIC member had directed rude words at her way and undid his trousers when she visited a residential area in Sungai Siput to look into the problem of a clogged drain on Nov 25.

Wanita MIC leader Mohana Muniandy said this evening that the party has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and assault, as well as any other unwelcome physical contact, violence or threats of physical violence to women.

“Nevertheless, every allegation related to MIC should be taken seriously, especially when it is about sexual harassment. Fake allegations just to smear the party’s name will not be tolerated,” she said.

Mohana, who said she had personally gone to Sungai Siput to obtain more information regarding the incident, also hoped that the police would investigate the matter with “caution and respect” due to the involvement of a political party.

Sungai Siput district police chief Mohd Khaizam Ahmad Shahabudin had previously confirmed that police had received the woman’s report.

The woman had said the incident happened when members of her NGO and officials from the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council visited the housing estate after receiving complaints about clogged drains.

She said she was stopped by several MIC members who gathered at the scene and claimed that they were trying to resolve the drain issue, warning the NGO not to intervene.

The situation became tense when an MIC member used abusive language and undid his zipper in front of her, she said.