KOTA BELUD, Nov. 20 -- Pintasan incumbent Datuk Fairuz Renddan, who is contesting as an Independent in the 17th Sabah state election, has dismissed allegations linking him to a purported "project commission" scandal as a baseless and desperate attempt to smear his reputation.

Claims circulating on social media accuse Fairuz of demanding a 30 per cent cut from business lobbyists in exchange for project approvals.

Describing the accusations as an "unfounded, cheap issue" engineered by irresponsible quarters, Fairuz said the smear campaign reflected malicious intent and a lack of substantive campaign material from his detractors.

"This is the work of people with bad intentions who have run out of campaign material. They choose the easiest...