PKR lawmaker Zuraida Kamaruddin said the country’s current situation is the reason why there is a fervent need to remove Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak from the top leadership.

Zuraida said this in response to former lawmaker Zaid Ibrahim, who said that voters should not buy in to the idea that so long as Najib is defeated, then the country would be fine.

“Given the current situation in Malaysia - voters are still not that empowered, still not sophisticated at the political level - we have to bring him (Najib) down first.

“Bring him down and the whole Barisan Nasional government,” she told Malaysiakini.

The Ampang parliamentarian also said that she was all for one-to-one fights in the next general election, in response to Zaid who said that the idea of pursuing one-to-one fights was being perpetrated by those who want to be prime minister.

“We should think about the interest of the rakyat first (and) probably talk about sharing powers once we win,” Zuraida said.

Leaders would then determine the number of ministers and deputy ministers that would be truly needed for the country.

“To do that, we must first have one-to-one fights,” she stressed.

Without mentioning names, Zaid in a speech delivered at a political ceramah said that the country now has another leader who wants to be prime minister who had promised to bring PAS to the negotiating table to ensure one-to-one fights against BN.

In the speech uploaded on his blog, the former minister also said he was appalled how some are of the opinion that Najib would be defeated if the opposition can be united on seat allocation only, as opposed to fundamental political principles.

Najib a danger to public funds

Responding to this, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said he had always been consistent in his view that Najib must be removed immediately and he is also of the opinion that one-to-one fights were not the be-all and end-all to everything

Rafizi's view also differs slightly from his colleagues in the opposition parties, in that he believes Najib needs to be removed not to save Malaysia but because he is a danger to public funds.

“His political life depends on whether or not he can move beyond the 1MDB (scandal),” he pointed out.

Rafizi also expressed agreement with Zaid call that the country does not need politicians who offer a quick-fix solution - just by changing the prime minister.

“I agree on that. We should not give the impression that everything is about removing Najib.”

The Pandan MP also reminded his allies that they should remember how every little thing they do is being watched by the people.

“They don’t look for a politician, they look for someone who can fight for them.

“Whoever is vying for the prime ministership, unless he or she can be genuinely accepted by the public that they really care about them, rather than go for Putrajaya, whoever that person is, he or she would have the same problem about the person to be removed (Najib)," he said.

Public rebuke on Najib thus far, Rafizi pointed out, was not so much on Najib the person but rather, the style of his leadership.

“The culture of a person once he becomes a leader, then a prime minister, that he totally disregards what’s happening on the ground - that disgusts the people,” he added.