Defeated PKR deputy president candidate Mustaffa Kamil Ayub revealed that he had already been invited to join former Federal Territories chief Zaid Ibrahim's ‘third force' new party.

"There were attempts to get me there. Before this, there were also people telling me not to contest for deputy presidency, but I still stood in the race and gave space for the central elections committee (CEC) to investigate my complaints," he said, referring to his claims of irregularities in the recently concluded party polls.

zaid ibrahim pc 091110 mustaffa kamil ayub "There are those who want me (to join the new party), but I am serious and committed to PKR," he said, despite having been defeated badly in the polls by Azmin Ali.

Mustaffa ( right ) had previously insisted that he had only cooperated with Zaid over complaints of malpractices in the party elections.

Indeed, he had vehemently distanced himself from Zaid when the latter began lambasting the party leadership including de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Zaid then announced his resignation from PKR and his intentions to form a new political party by next January.

It is unclear if the party will be pro-Pakatan or BN, but his supporters are already calling it a "third force" in the country's political landscape.

In an immediate response, an aide for Zaid has denied that an offer was made to Mustaffa for him to join a new party. 

"For the record, there was never any offer for Mustaffa to join Zaid by himself or any of his close associates," said Firdaus Christopher in an SMS message.

"(And) definitely not for someone (Mustaffa) who condones injustices, lies and deceit right before his eyes, someone who supposedly upholds Islamic principles."

'Onus to investigate not on me'

Speaking to Malaysiakini on the sidelines of the PKR annual congress, Mustaffa also said he hoped that the CEC, an independent body appointed by the secretariat to oversee the party election, will be more productive in investigating the claims of malpractice.

He added that the onus should not be on the complainant to provide more evidence to the CEC.

Giving police work as an example, Mustaffa said that the police would not push the responsibility to investigate back to the complainant.

"So what happens to police work then (if the complainant has to investigate on his own)?" he asked.

tian chua and saifuddin nasution ismail police penang permatang pauh by election 210808 01 In a press conference yesterday, party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail ( left ) said he found Mustaffa's complaint to be without basis since it lacked evidence, and that it was now up to Mustaffa to furnish the secretariat with more.

Mustaffa - the Perak PKR chief and popular grassrooots leader - had previously cried foul at the party polls, claiming irregularities and malpractice.

He had even previously sent a memorandum to the party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, pleading with her to halt the party election.

It was speculated that he, like Zaid, would withdraw from the race, but Mustaffa continued on, albeit "under protest".