He also hopes to defend the Rantau state seat, which he has represented in the Negeri Sembilan state assembly since 2004.

Mohamad, who was menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan for three terms from 2004-2018, said he was confident that voters in Rantau would continue to back BN.

He did not say which parliamentary seat he intended to contest. Rantau is one of four state constituencies in the Rembau parliamentary seat, currently held by health minister Khairy Jamaluddin of Umno.

Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, said: “As I am the Umno deputy president, I also need to contest a parliamentary seat to play a role at the federal level,” he told reporters here. “Senior party leaders must have roles at the federal level to manage the party.”

Mohamad was optimistic about being re-elected in Rantau. “Malay voters here make up only about 51%, so it needs to be managed well,” he said.

He was elected uncontested in Rantau in 2018 but the election was voided and a by-election called in 2019, at which Mohamad was re-elected by a 4,510-vote majority over his rival from Pakatan Harapan.