Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob today denied the allegation that he had given RM15,000 to 'pro-government' students during the recent elections for the students' representative council of the International Islamic University (IIU).

Speaking to Bernama , Adnan said the allegation was made in leaflets distributed in campus during the campaign period.

Adnan claimed the leaflets could be the doing of certain quarters who did not fancy the idea of him being close with IIU students.

"Maybe others are afraid because we are closer to the students. I was a former IIU student, too," he was quoted by Bernama .

The menteri besar also challenged those who printed the leaflets to prove their allegation.

According to a News Straits Times report today, a complaint was lodged with the university election committee against a 'pro-opposition' candidate for distributing defamatory posters, banners and pamphlets in IIU.

Among others, the daily said, the pamphlets alleged 'pro-government' students received RM15,000 from Adnan to fund their campaign and that a vote for the 'pro-government' group constituted a vote for Umno.

The IIU election was mired in controversy following a report in The Star yesterday which said scores of students were involved in fist-fights outside one of the voting centres.

However, university authorities dismissed this claim, saying there was only a "exchange of words" between the two groups.

Thursday's elections saw the 'anti-establishment' group winning 28 seats while the 'pro-establishment' group won six, all uncontested.

IIU is generally considered a hotbed for opposition politics and jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's supporters.