Loke, who is a two-term Chennah assemblyman, said the decision was made after taking into account the current political scenario in the state as well as the local sentiments, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Loke cited a survey that revealed that 70% of his constituents wanted him to continue serving them.

“Of course, the highest support is among the Chinese community, which is at 90%.

“But what also encouraged me is that according to the survey results, I also have strong support among Malay voters with an approval rating of more than 50%,” he told reporters in Jelebu.

Loke, who is also Seremban MP, said he wanted to prove that even if he’s up against a Perikatan Nasional candidate, he could win with the support of both Chinese and Malay voters.

It was previously reported that the state Barisan Nasional (BN) had requested for the Chennah seat during seat negotiations with Pakatan Harapan.

In the 14th general election, Loke won the Chennah state seat with a 1,155-vote majority in a three-cornered fight against candidates from BN and PAS.