Hassan said he welcomed members and leaders of other parties to join PKR on condition that they are honest in accepting the Pakatan Harapan component’s principles and ambitions.

He said it was important for PKR to be both accepting yet careful regarding the reported impending influx of members from rival parties.

“It is necessary, reasonable and responsible for checks to be conducted on senior leaders of other parties who want to join PKR.

“Those who have criminal records, bankrupt or corrupt should not be accepted because PKR is not a trash bin. PKR needs to maintain its clean image as a party that champions reforms.

“Those who are parasitic, opportunistic, thieves, deceivers and corrupt must be rejected from the get-go,” he told FMT.

On Tuesday, FMT quoted sources as saying hundreds of Bersatu grassroots members were set to join PKR for a variety of reasons, including the inability to advance their political careers in the Malay-based party.

The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said the Bersatu members also wanted to help certain allies in PKR boost their campaigns in the coming party elections, expected to be held at the end of this year or in early 2025.

Most recently, Bersatu’s former Supreme Council member Faiz Na’aman and former Dengkil assemblyman Adhif Syan Abdullah joined PKR.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was also quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying that more “high-profile” figures would be leaving opposition parties to join PKR.