(AFP) A High Court judge who says his superior pressured him by phone to drop a politically sensitive case has stuck to his story despite a denial from the then-chief justice Eusoff Chin.

Justice Muhammad Kamil Awang, in an interview carried today by the official Bernama news agency, described Eusoff's account of the phone conversation as far-fetched.

Muhammad Kamil sparked a furore this month when he said he had been ordered by a superior in 1999 to drop a case alleging electoral fraud in Sabah.

Eusoff has since admitted telephoning Muhammad Kamil but has denied he told him to strike out the petitions from two candidates who were defeated in the state elections.

Eusoff has said he called merely to direct the judge to speed up the case and described this as normal practice.

Muhammad Kamil retires from office on Monday at age 65.

"He (Eusoff) shouldn't have brought this up. At first he denied calling me but the next day I read that he admitted calling me," Muhammad Kamil said.

Despite what he described as pressure to drop the case, Muhammad Kamil ordered a member of the ruling coalition, former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee, to vacate his seat in the state assembly.

The judge ruled that Yong won it with the help of "phantom (unregistered) voters".

Dead witness

The judge's comments sparked a furore, where critics of the government say judicial independence has long been under threat. Police have begun an inquiry into the case.

Muhammad Kamil said he had received many calls and letters of congratulations.

He described some of the evidence of electoral fraud produced during the 1999 hearing -- including non-citizens with illegally-obtained identity cards -- as "fantastic".

The judge was quoted by Bernama as saying one of the witnesses he subpoenaed to give evidence was later found killed while another witness was kidnapped during the lunch-break.

No details were given and the judge could not be reached for comment.

The opposition Sabah United Party (PBS)at the time accused the ruling coalition of using "dirty tactics" to win the state polls.

The party complained to police that it had proof 30,000 immigrants were issued Malaysian identity cards to allow them to vote.