In thanking party leaders for asking him to continue helming the Sarawak Barisan Nasional's (BN) second largest component party, Dr Chan said support from the grassroots was crucial for its survival.

"It's going to be a difficult job, but when the time comes, let the party members decide because the most important thing now is for SUPP to stay united," Dr Chan, who is also deputy chief minister, said yesterday.

"I am happy to let go my post as the party is now going from strength to strength," he said, alluding to his retirement plan by year-end following a leadership crisis in the party after the May 2006 state election, which saw the Chinese-based party losing eight seats to the opposition and the party splitting into factions.

With the rival factions having ironed out their differences and performing better than expected in the March 8 general election, winning six of the seven parliamentary seats it contested, Dr Chan said he would like to see the party move forward and become fully united.

The question as to who should helm the 49-year-old party was not important but the grassroots must be happy with the leadership, he added.

Meanwhile, SUPP organising secretary Datuk Peter Chin said the triennial delegates conference would be an ideal forum for party members to air their views on the leadership while there were also plans to go down to the grassroots to hold dialogues with branches.

The only way to help stabilise the party was to ensure any change in SUPP's leadership must come in a "structured" manner for the younger set, added the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister.

Party secretary-general Datuk Sim Kheng Hui said Dr Chan's leadership should be decided at the delegates conference, the party's highest decision-making body.

He, however, said the central working committee would meet to discuss the matter after the current sitting of the state assembly ends on Wednesday.

The party's constitutional provisions must be complied with for the decision to be fair and just to all, he added. ─ Bernama