The PRM-Keadilan merger will create a new multiracial political order and play a greater role in mixed constituencies during the next general elections, PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said today.

However, the merger was not proposed by the party's leadership based on the sole aim of emerging victorious in the elections, he said.

"What is more important is that the merger would enable us to offer the people a multiracial and progressive brand of politics, " said Syed Hussin when addressing some 130 delegates who attended the party's 34th national congress in Kuala Lumpur.

"This new form of politics will continue the struggle for a just, democratic, united, moralistic and transparent government which will be sensitive to the rakyat 's needs and welfare," he said.

Later today, the PRM delegates will vote in a secret ballot to decide on whether to accept or reject the merger with Keadilan.

The merger, which was proposed early last year, had met with opposition from factions within both parties.

Communist party

A pro-Islamic Keadilan faction had rejected the proposal claiming that PRM was a communist party while several PRM members felt that the merger would destroy their 46-year-old party's identity.

Some had even objected to the idea of adding red borders - symbolising PRM - to Keadilan's existing blue flag.

Keadilan was formed after the sacking and subsequent jailing of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1999. The party is spearheaded by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

On June 24, at the party's special annual general meeting (AGM), 63 percent of Keadilan delegates voted in support of the resolution to 'accept and agree to the merger'.

If the merger comes through, the new party will be called Parti Rakyat Keadilan Malaysia (PRKM).

In his speech today, Syed Hussin also expressed his hope that the merger would not only strengthen the two 'historically different' parties but also strengthen the purpose and political direction of the new party.

"We hope the merger will become the foundation which will stabilise unity in the opposition coalition, the Barisan Alternatif," he said.

Merger feared

PRM's youth wing had voted in favour of the merger yesterday but party sources said it was a narrow victory and warned that calling the merger 'imminent' was still premature.

Yesterday malaysiakini reported Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, currently under Internal Security Act (ISA) detention, as saying that the merger is feared by the government as it is envisaged to be a potent force which would threaten the ruling front, the Barisan Nasional.