PKR vice-president Tian Chua has poured cold water over a front-page exclusive report by The Star today, which claimed that Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has refused his party's request to sign a resignation letter as chief executive.

Chua vehemently denied the report which alleged that the PKR top leadership had drawn up the letter for Abdul Khalid to resign immediately after the Kajang by-election, to pave way for Anwar Ibrahim to become menteri besar.

"This allegation is false (and) is nothing but utter lies and a smokescreen.

"The writer is in fact covering up the reality that MCA - which owns The Star - is in complete disarray over its inability to produce a credible candidate to contest the upcoming Kajang by-election," he said in a statement today.

Calling MCA a "sinking political ship", Chua also accused the party of deflecting attention from the pressure it is receiving from BN partners to concede the Kajang state seat to them.

"MCA should focus on self-reflection as to why people still consider MCA nothing but irrelevant to Malaysian politics," he noted.

Abdul Khalid had earlier this month denied the existence of a post-dated letter for him to resign.

"Agreement? There is no such thing as an agreement," he claimed.

However, Anwar has hinted in recent weeks that he might take over as menteri besar after Kajang state assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh had vacated his seat to allow Anwar to contest.

The Kajang by-election is fixed for March 23.