KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced tonight that he will contest in the north Johor state constituency of Gambir.

The incumbent Pagoh MP, who is also Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief, said he had discussed his suitability for the seat with local leaders who had expressed their support for his candidacy there, The Star Online reported.

"I came here to test the market and see the response before making a decision.

"There is very good support here and so this is the state seat which I will contest in,” he was quoted telling reporters in Gambir after a ceramah there.

By throwing his hat in the ring for the Johor state seat, the 70-year-old Muhyiddin effectively indicated he is having another go at the mentri besar post he had last held from August 1986 to May 1995 before he moved on to the federal Cabinet.

National newswire Bernama reported separately Muhyiddin saying that he would also contest in a parliamentary seat, without indicating if he would be defending Pagoh which he has held since Election 1995.

Gambir is one of three state seats under the Ledang parliamentary seat. The other two being Tangkak and Serom.

Gambir was won by the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk M. Asojan by a narrow margin of 310 votes in the last general election, beating Datuk Dr. Mahfodz Mohamed from PAS and two independents, Mohd Zan Abu and Yunus Mustakim.

The Star reported DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang was also present at the same ceramah with Muhyiddin and said PH aimed to take Ledang in the 14th general election.

More than half of the voter population in Ledang is Malay, with ethnic Chinese the next largest demographic group at 40 per cent. Indians make up 4 per cent and Orang Asli make up the remainder at just under 1 per cent.

The incumbent Ledang MP is Datuk Hamim Samuri who defeated PKR’s Hassan Abdul Karim by 1,967 votes in GE13.