The more the merrier, Muhyiddin tells Najib's rivals

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today welcomed the growing number of rivals who have announced their intention to contest against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the next general election.

"For the prime minister, the more the merrier, this is the electoral process, so it is up to them," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Muhyiddin was referring to former Kita president Zaid Ibrahim's (right) announcement that he intends to contest against the premier in the latter's parliamentary constituency of Pekan.

The announcement follows an endorsement from PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat yesterday of his party president Abdul Hadi Awang who said he was willing to contest in any seats including Pekan.

However, Zaid had made clear that he would only contest in Pekan if Abdul Hadi does not.

Nonetheless, Muhyiddin questioned whether the duo would hold true to their word to take on the premier.

We don't know how it will be at the end... things that are said by politicians, sometimes they just don't happen, so let's not be bothered by this," he said.

Najib has held the Pekan seat since 1976, when he was 22 years old.

Prior to that, it was his father and then-premier Abdul Razak Hussein, who held the seat.