PETALING JAYA, June 23 (Sin Chew Daily) – Sin Chew Daily had a video interview with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad this morning.

He said firmly that he would withdraw from Pakatan Harapan ++ after PKR had rejected the "Mahathir-Anwar" combo.

He also said he would not contact PKR nor its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for any more talks on future cooperation.

"I won't cooperate with him (Anwar) because he doesn't want to work with me. I need to find other way to become PM, so that I can bring down the backdoor government and backdoor PM.

"They have been in the opposition for so long. Before I joined them, in 2008 and 2013 they tried to win but they lost. They couldn't win. I joined them in GE14, and with enough Malay support, we won.

"They were very clear they needed Malay votes to win and thought I could bring them Malay votes because Bersatu is a Malay party and the Malays won't support multiracial parties."

When asked whether he would continue working with DAP and Amanah, the former prime minister said "yes", because they supported him as prime minister.

During a recent interview with Channel News Asia of Singapore, Anwar said he was willing to consider a senior minister or minister mentor role for Mahathir.

Mahathir told Sin Chew Daily he would not accept any other position.