KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) today denied that it had applied to join the federal Opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN), contrary to the impression given by Gerakan.

Its secretary-general Amir Hadi added that his party’s central executive committee had never even discussed such an idea.

"Muda also never sent any application whether officially or unofficially to join PN,” he said in a statement.

"Any statement linking Muda's joining of PN is not from Muda and does not represent Muda,” he added.

Amir was responding to PN component Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau’s recent remarks on the issue.

Amir said Muda's commitment is to strengthen the "third force" in Malaysia's politics, to be the check and balance to the government, and at the same time to reject the use of extremist racial and religious issues for political interests and political purposes.

Several local news outlets had reported Lau as welcoming Muda to join PN earlier today.

According to local daily Sinar Harian, Lau in a press conference today said that Gerakan welcomes Muda to join PN as they shared the same views on fighting corruption.

Lau said Gerakan will propose Muda’s membership to the PN supreme council this month.

Lau said he had unofficially expressed his intention to have Muda join PN when he met its president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman in Parliament.

On September 6, Syed Saddiq announced that Muda would not be with the government bloc in the Dewan Rakyat but would become a "third force” in Malaysia's politics, as a sign of protest against the current government over the discontinuance of a trial involving 47 charges against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Both Muda and its sole MP Syed Saddiq however indicated that he will still vote for "progressive" government Bills which require two-thirds support in the Dewan Rakyat to become law, especially proposed laws for institutional reforms.