Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali said he would rather die alone than turn his back on his pro-Islam and pro-bumiputera principles to work with parties like PKR and DAP, which do not share his ideals.

It was for this reason that he remains wary of joining Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), despite his respect for its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Ibrahim said he was no longer concerned about parties willing to sideline him, just to win the votes of other races.

"Let me die alone, even if there will be no one to bury me when I die. I don't care - even if my body decomposes as no one would deign to carry my body, lest they lose votes.

"I wouldn't mind, I don't care even a bit. I am proud that until now there is no party that fits me. I will not sell my principles (on protecting Malays, Islam and the bumiputera) which I have upheld for so long.

"I will stay true to my principles. Even without oars, I shall paddle with sticks, as I will not compromise and allow the ends to justify the means," Ibrahim told Malaysiakini and FreeMalaysiaToday at Perkasa's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Ibrahim said this when asked about his past statement that the 14th general election would see him becoming politically active once more.

He said he would just be a burden if he were to join Bersatu, because, for the party, winning over DAP parliamentary leader Kit Siang and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng "is more important than winning over Ibrahim Ali”.

He said: “Because Ibrahim Ali is Malay, so Ibrahim Ali cannot win them votes.

“But I bear no ill-will towards the friends who have left me, supported me, or spoken behind my back. I am only afraid of Allah's wrath.”

Ibrahim said he was now eyeing political parties that were in line with his ideals. Should he identify such a party, he said, he would resign from his post in Perkasa and focus on politics.

However, he does not rule out the possibility of joining Bersatu in the future, saying that he wanted to first observe if the party was compatible with his pro-bumiputera, pro-Islam principles.