KOTA KINABALU, Sept 22 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin today claimed that an agent of a candidate contesting in the Sabah state election has tried to offer an inducement to the police to stay silent on the issue involving the statement belittling the sacrifices of the security forces in the 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion.

He said that the inducement was offered to gain the support of the police personnel during the early voting today and that a report has been lodged to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the attempted bribery.

"What kind of a candidate is he if he doesn’t care about the efforts to defend the country and the state? This kind of candidate is unworthy (of support). As a Home Minister, I love my (police) men,” he told a press conference here today.

Hamzah, however, refused to give details on the amount involved and whether the attempted bribery involved the policemen in Lahad Datu.

Yesterday, a short video clip of the election campaign speech made by Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, a former federal minister and Warisan candidate for Segama seat, went viral over social media after he belittled the security forces in Lahad Datu intrusion and called it a farce, causing anger among many quarters.

The Sabah people will go to the polls on September 26. — Bernama