IPOH, Nov 5 — Batu candidate Chua Tian Chang can consider himself sacked from PKR for breaking rank to contest in the Kuala Lumpur parliamentary constituency for the 15th general election.

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Chua automatically lost his membership after opting to run against the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s choice candidate P. Prabakaran.

"It is unfortunate that he chose this path. He has been a dedicated reformist, but as a reformist he shouldn’t have done this.

"So we have to take the necessary action. So those who contest as independent or leave the party will be automatically sacked,” Anwar who is also PH chairman told reporters at the Dewan Sri Kledang Institut Latihan Perindustrian Ipoh here after filing his own nomination papers to contest in Tambun.

The former PKR vice-president better known as Tian Chua had filed to contest Batu as an independent candidate earlier this morning, seeking a return to the urban seat he had represented for two terms from 2008.

He told reporters in Kuala Lumpur after his filing that he is ready to face any action by the PKR leadership.

He said had decided to contest in Batu again, to fulfill a promise he had made to voters there in Election 2018 when he was unable to contest due to what he described as a "conspiracy”.

Prabakaran who ran and won as an independent candidate in Election 2018 subsequently joined PKR and is now defending his seat against nine others in GE15.

Polling day is on November 19.