Delegates at Keadilan's special annual general meeting (AGM) this Sunday will cast their votes in a secret ballot to decide whether they are for or against the PRM-Keadilan merger, said party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today.

Wan Azizah said while a two-thirds majority is needed where constitutional changes are concerned, only a majority vote is needed to determine the merger.

On June 24, delegates will meet at the Angkasa Auditorium in Kelana Jaya to decide whether the two-Malay based opposition parties will merge.

It is learnt that the party's supreme council leaders have been 'working hard' explaining to the grassroots the merits and technical aspects of the merger for the past two months.

The merger proposal, which came about early last year, has seen a split in reaction among members of both parties Some say the move will enhance the struggle of establishing a just Malaysia; yet others are skeptical of the outcome.

Among the issues raised by an opposing faction in Keadilan, is PRM's past association with socialism - a supposedly 'godless' ideology - and whether the party should dissolve and be allowed to join the relatively new Keadilan en bloc .

Wan Azizah said the supreme council members, who met for about five hours yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, agreed to support the merger and propose it to the delegates.

"We had a fruitful meeting and have agreed by consensus to support and propose the merger at the coming AGM," she told malaysiakini .

"Delegates will be given ample opportunity to debate the proposal. It is up to them to decide," she added.

Recently, Keadilan members voiced their concern that party leaders are not confident of delegates' support for the merger.

Party sources claimed there was intense lobbying against the merger at branch level nationwide. They said the opposing faction, including Abim (Muslim Youth Movement) activists, perceive PRM as a socialist party and un-Islamic.

Keadilan was formed in 1998 in the wake of the sacking of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. It comprises mostly disgruntled Umno members, NGOs, reformasi activists, and those who are pro-Abim and Jamaah Islah Malaysia(another pro-Anwar Islamic group).

It is believed that the pro-Abim faction, which has an extensive national network, is not happy with the merger because the injection of PRM leaders could threaten their power base.

However, a source yesterday told malaysiakini that the faction feared the merger could further split the Malays.

However, Wan Azizah reasoned that the lobbying on both sides was a healthy sign.

"All of us have our opinions and it is up to us to convince each other of our opinions," she said.

She said the problem cropped up when the party's top leaders were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

"Our explanation to the grassroots were disrupted by the ISA detentions. These leaders who were detained were supposed to explain the merger," she said.

Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib, Lokman Noor Adam and Dr Badrul Amin Bahron are undergoing a two-year detention under the ISA beginning June 2 at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak. Also being detained is social activist-cum- malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.