KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 -- The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) said it will uphold its role as an independent third force and reiterated that the party will not participate in Perikatan Nasional's (PN) nationwide roadshow.

In a statement today, Muda said it considers the issue regarding its participation in the event to be final as it has already been refuted by the party's leadership.

"Once again, we would like to issue a firm reminder to all parties to refrain from arbitrarily issuing statements that overstep the party's decision-making authority.

"Any announcement related to Muda, or its leadership, will only be issued via the party's official channels," read the statement.

The statement was issued after Muda's central e...