This comes minutes after an announcement by the Perak PKR that Hussin had been accepted as a member of the party.

In a statement, Syed Hussin said he remains an independent candidate.

“The news that Syed Hussin has joined PKR is not true.

“I have never applied to join any party,” he said in a statement.

Syed Hussin added that the party that released the news should retract the statement.

Syed Hussin left Umno on June 27.

Earlier, Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak said the party’s political bureau had received Syed Hussin’s application previously and approval was given after it was vetted.

The approval was given today by the party’s central committee, Farhash added.

“PKR now has 51 MPs,” Farhash said in a statement, adding that solidarity within the party was being strengthened.

He said Pakatan Harapan will be able to benefit from Syed Hussin’s experience.

Meanwhile, the office of the PKR secretary-general said the party, especially its central leadership council, did not issue any statement regarding Syed Hussin’s status.