Women rights NGO Sisters in Islam has urged the government to table the amendments to the Islamic Family Act 1984 to bring back protection for Muslim women.

Its executive director Ratna Osman said that the original Federal Act passed 13 years ago, had adequate protection and was one of the most progressive laws in the Muslim world. But it has been blunted by subsequent amendments and state enactments.

Speaking at the SIS convention for 'Women's right in an Islamic family' at the Renaissance Hotel this morning, Ratna said MPs should also do their jobs in pushing through the amendments that were supposed to be tabled in 2009.

"Malaysia’s 1984 Islamic Family Law was once regarded as among the most progressive in the Muslim world.

"However subsequent amendments in 1994 and 2003, diminished the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia instead of strengthening them.

"We hope the MPs will bring this issue back to their constituencies. Hopefully as Minister Nancy Shukri ( photo ) announced at the media, it will be tabled in Parliament. By 2016 we want Islamic family law like the one that was agreed on in the Attorney-General's Chambers in 2009," she told Malaysiakini at the sidelines of the convention.

The national convention also highlighted the plight of Muslim women who were being oppressed by subsequent amendments regarding matrimony, shared possession, divorce, polygamy and child marriages.

The 2005 amendments to the act increased the power of men to divorce their wives, and provided new rights for husbands to claim matrimonial property from wives - even property given to her as gifts.

They also loosened the conditions for polygamy - making contracting polygamy easier for men and enabling a husband to freeze the assets or properties of his wife.

Ratna said the national convention wants the Act and its implementation to be in line with the Islamic justice system, and upgraded to include best practices, to safeguard the rights of Muslim women, which were seen as sidelined in this country.

"Amending the law is what religion asks from us. It is religious duty not to shut up when we see injustice and suffering. It is in line with the human rights. Why do Muslim women need to suffer?

"When we speak about the plight of Muslim women, we say kesian (pity). When in fighting for her rights, she has 20 years of pending court cases, we say sabar (be patient), be a good wife. It is okay to suffer?" she queried in her opening remarks.

Among the attendees were former Terengganu syarie judge Ismail Yahaya, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud.