A Keadilan leader today urged deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar to reconsider stepping down from his post because it would create 'instability' within the party.

"Chandra (pictured left) needs to ensure there is a 'natural' succession, failing which it will create instability in the party," said party's women chief Fuziah Salleh today.

She feared that Chandra's decision will leave a vacuum in the party leadership.

No one can replace Chandra at the moment as the party needs a mature and experienced leader, she said.

According to Fuziah, it is not the right time for Chandra to quit as the merger between Keadilan and its Barisan Alternatif coalition partner PRM has yet to be completed.

"If he leaves after the merger, at least there is another natural leader like Dr Syed Husin Ali [who can fill in for Chandra]," she said.

Both parties have agreed in principle to merge early this year.

The Keadilan annual general meeting, to be held next month, will seek to approve the change of name for the 'new' party, the colour of its logo and the resulting amendments to party's constitution to pave the way for the merger.

But it could take months before the two parties officially merge.

Services still needed

Fuziah said the party still needs Chandra's services especially in strengthening the opposition BA alliance to challenge the power of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

"We understand and respect his wish to be more involved in non-governmental organisations, but we need him. It is critical that he reconsiders his decision," she said.

Fuziah said although Keadilan has many potential leaders, such as Azmin Ali and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail - who are state assembly representatives for Hulu Langat and Lunas respectively - they are young and will need time to be groomed.

Saifuddin, when contacted by malaysiakini , said that the party still needs Chandra's contribution and that it "recognises his role in Keadilan and BA".

Chandra was reported to have informed party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and party supreme council members in a letter dated Aug 24, that he will not seek re-election at Keadilan's annual general assembly next month.

Since then, party leaders and members have been trying to persuade him to reconsider his decision, said Fuziah.

Internal affair

Meanwhile, PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said he has urged Chandra to reconsider his decision.

"His leaving will be a loss to Keadilan and BA," he said.

Asked how Chandra's resignation may impact on the merger of Keadilan and PRM, Syed Husin said he would rather not make any conjecture about that for now.

He also declined to comment on Chandra's possible replacement.

Opposition leader and PAS president Fadzil Noor said in the Parliament lobby today that he will not get involved in Chandra's decision not to seek re-election because "it is an internal affair of Keadilan".

"Keadilan will not change whether Chandra is in it or not," he said, adding that the latest development will not affect the co-operation among BA components.

Chandra was a political science lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia from 1970 to 1983 and served as Aliran president from 1977 to 1991.

In 1997, he set up the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at Universiti Malaya and was appointed its founding director. His contract was not renewed in February 1998 and he joined Keadilan a year later.

He contested in the general election that year for the parliamentary seat of Bandar Tun Razak, garnering 21,049 votes, but lost to BN's Tan Chai Ho who won by a thin majority of 1,224.