Anwar Ibrahim has shot down claims that there is a move to replace him with senior Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the new Opposition Leader.

Smiling as he responded to the question, Anwar pointed out that he had not heard anything to that effect from any of the other Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

"I have not heard this from any PAS or DAP leaders... maybe its only from Bayan Baru," he quipped, referring to his once-close PKR ally and now Independent MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim.

In an interview today, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail also dismissed the claim, pointing out that Razaleigh has never really been on the opposition's side.

"Tengku Razaleigh has never been an opposition leader, he was in (Semangat) 46. Semangat 46 is a splinter of Umno. He has never been on the outside (and) then he went back (to Umno)," she said.

"Some of the Semangat 46 members said that he never asked them (about returning to Umno), he just went back."

Rumours of Razaleigh - or Ku Li as he is more popularly known -  replacing Anwar surfaced last week when Bernama quoted a Malay NGO leader who claimed that senior Pakatan leaders have been having meetings with the Kelantan prince behind the opposition leader’s back.

The rumour was fuelled further when Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia quoted PAS’ ulama chief Harun Taib as saying that it was “not impossible” to have Razaleigh lead the opposition.

PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat however laughed off the speculation, saying it is a mere “joke” of an attempt to link him with the alleged plan to put up Razaleigh in place of Anwar.

VIDEO | 0.58 mins

Zahrain dares Nik Aziz to deny pro-Ku Li plot