Shafie said he had taken legal measures to refute the baseless allegations.

“It is worth noting that even though I am no longer the chief minister, my name has been wrongfully associated with this deal by various political leaders in Sabah.

“I want to make it clear that I categorically deny any involvement or wrongdoing in this case,” he said in a statement today.

Shafie, the MP for Semporna, said he had filed a lawsuit against those who had linked his name to the land deal.

“Moreover, a letter of demand has already been served to these individuals,” he added.

It has been alleged that current chief minister Hajiji Noor approved applications for six plots of land totalling 968ha in Kudat, with Shafie also implicated in the deal.

On Monday, Hajiji refuted the allegations, which he described as ill-intended, politically motivated and aimed at smearing his name, while saying that his office would give full cooperation in any investigation into the matter.