According to an MACC source, the man, in his 40s and serving as an assistant state minister, was detained at about 9.30am today after giving a statement at the Sabah MACC office.

“The suspect is believed to have committed the offence between 2023 and 2024.

“Investigations also found that he allegedly asked for and received around RM150,000 from an individual with a ‘Datuk’ title, purportedly to help facilitate mining licence applications in the state,” the source said.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed the arrest. He said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.

He said the suspect had been released on a RM50,000 bail without deposit and is expected to be charged soon.

The alleged scandal was reported in 2024 after a series of videos linking several Sabah assemblymen to it were leaked.

The videos allegedly depicted discussions involving bribery and misconduct related to mineral exploration projects in the state.

In February, Azam said the initial batch of videos lacked credibility as they had been heavily edited.