Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has advised political parties against using the recent Sabah abduction case as fodder in their political campaign in the Sarawak state election.

The kidnapping would not solve the problem but only make it more difficult to secure the release of the victims, Khalid said today.

"We can understand the feelings of the family members of the victims... do not use the issue to make things difficult for us," he told reporters after launching the Police Cooperative auxiliary police service at Oasis Damansara in Petaling Jaya.

Khalid said the parties should not parade the family members on stage during their political campaign as it would only make it more difficult to secure the release of the victims.

He was commenting on the action of several politicians in Sarawak who had allegedly campaigned for and offered cash aid to the family members to secure the release of the victims.

The political parties should explain to the family members that the authorities have taken all appropriate measures to secure the release of the victims, he said.

Khalid said yesterday that the police had obtained positive feedback from the Philippine security authorities on the efforts to secure the release of the four Malaysians abducted by eight armed men in the waters off Ligitan in Sabah on April 1.

Earlier this month, four Malaysians - Wong Teck Pang, Wong Teck Chi, Wong Hung Song and Lau Jung Hien - were abducted in the waters off Semporna, Sabah.

- Bernama