KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Feb 9 ) night for a chest infection following a bout of cough, the hospital said in a statement.

The statement added that Mahathir, 92, was being treated in the general ward. 

"Dr Mahathir will be admitted for a few days to allow for treatment and observation. Visits only for close family members," it said.

Mahathir, who stepped down in 2003 following 22 years as prime minister, returned to the political fray in 2016 with his newly formed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, which joined the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition in 2017. 

Malaysia's next general election must be held by August 2018.