ALOR SETAR, May 15 — Three law enforcement officers were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Kedah on suspicion of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM36,000 to protect the seedy side of massage parlours around the state last year.

According to a source, the three male suspects from different government agencies were arrested between 8pm and midnight yesterday, when they came to give their statements at the MACC office in Sungai Petani.

"The suspects are believed to have committed the offences in January last year and received monthly payments of up to RM6,000 to protect massage parlour workers who did not have valid work permits.

"Investigations are being intensified and we do not rule out the possibility that there are others (players) involved,” the source said today.

The source added that all the middle aged suspects were remanded for four days starting today to enable investigations to be carried out under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.

Meanwhile, Kedah MACC director Ahmad Nizam Ismail, when contacted, confirmed the arrests. — Bernama